Scotrail M-tickets withdrawn on certain routes.

[BlueLeanie]

Scotrail have sent out an email notifying the withdrawal of M-tickets on certain routes.

We’ve made some changes to Single and Return mTickets that may affect you.

We regularly review the availability of ticket types across the network, and as part of that process, Single and Return mTickets can no longer be purchased via the ScotRail app on journeys from certain stations.

These are :

• Airbles - Motherwell
• Anderston - Exhibition Centre
• Anderston - Glasgow Central
• Argyle Street - Glasgow Central
• Bellgrove - Queen Street
• Bridge of Allan - Stirling
• Edinburgh Park - Haymarket
• Livingston North - Bathgate
• Slateford - Haymarket
• South Gyle - Haymarket

Season Tickets and Flexi tickets are still available on mTickets from most of these stations for customers wishing to use their phone to buy before they board, or customers can also use the ScotRail Tap & Play

Alternatively, Single and Return paper tickets can still be purchased from stations which have a Ticket Vending Machine or ticket office.

I'm guessing there's a big issue with fraud on these routes?

But are these bi-directional bans?

 

[tram21]

But are these bi-directional bans?

It says single and returns so I'd imagine so

 

[Watershed]

What a backwards approach to revenue protection - inconvenience those legitimate customers who do travel from those stations, because they can't be bothered to check tickets adequately though other means.

This kind of anti-customer attitude is highly pervasive in the UK rail industry. Sadly there seems to be no prospect of this changing any time soon.

 

[The exile]

What a backwards approach to revenue protection - inconvenience those legitimate customers who do travel from those stations, because they can't be bothered to check tickets adequately though other means.

This kind of anti-customer attitude is highly pervasive in the UK rail industry. Sadly there seems to be no prospect of this changing any time soon.

Every form of revenue protection inconveniences the legitimate customer to some degree or another…

 

[WestAnglian]

What a backwards approach to revenue protection - inconvenience those legitimate customers who do travel from those stations, because they can't be bothered to check tickets adequately though other means.

This kind of anti-customer attitude is highly pervasive in the UK rail industry. Sadly there seems to be no prospect of this changing any time soon.

In my experience Scotrail are the most thorough TOC there is when it comes to revenue protection. It's rare not to have your ticket checked (usually in a friendly manner) unless you're on a very short hop through one of the Glasgow subterranean lines.

 

[alistairlees]

Scotrail have sent out an email notifying the withdrawal of M-tickets on certain routes.

We’ve made some changes to Single and Return mTickets that may affect you.

We regularly review the availability of ticket types across the network, and as part of that process, Single and Return mTickets can no longer be purchased via the ScotRail app on journeys from certain stations.

These are :

• Airbles - Motherwell
• Anderston - Exhibition Centre
• Anderston - Glasgow Central
• Argyle Street - Glasgow Central
• Bellgrove - Queen Street
• Bridge of Allan - Stirling
• Edinburgh Park - Haymarket
• Livingston North - Bathgate
• Slateford - Haymarket
• South Gyle - Haymarket

Season Tickets and Flexi tickets are still available on mTickets from most of these stations for customers wishing to use their phone to buy before they board, or customers can also use the ScotRail Tap & Play

Alternatively, Single and Return paper tickets can still be purchased from stations which have a Ticket Vending Machine or ticket office.

I'm guessing there's a big issue with fraud on these routes?

But are these bi-directional bans?

"Tap and Play"?

 

[realemil]

inconvenience those legitimate customers who do travel from those stations, because they can't be bothered to check tickets adequately though other means.

However, I can't imagine any people travelling from Argyle Street to Glasgow Central, which is a 5 minute walk

 

[PG]

Scotrail have sent out an email notifying the withdrawal of M-tickets on certain routes.

I'm guessing there's a big issue with fraud on these routes?

They could just be honest and replace this:

We regularly review the availability of ticket types across the network,

with this:

We have noticed an increase in fraudulent travel in certain areas, and to combat this,

 

[Jan Mayen]

I don't think I've used an M-ticket. What makes it more open to fraud than any other ticket?

 

[The exile]

I don't think I've used an M-ticket. What makes it more open to fraud than any other ticket?

Difficult to buy a paper ticket from Slateford when you see the Haymarket barriers are in operation - easy with an M-ticket.

 

[styles]

I don't think I've used an M-ticket. What makes it more open to fraud than any other ticket?

I suspect maybe twofold.

Firstly m-tickets are different to e-tickets in that you choose when to activate your m-ticket. So you could choose to only activate your m-ticket when you think you're going to be caught by a guard, or if you think you won't be caught by a guard, don't activate it and save it for another day.

Secondly I don't know how the backend of these ticket systems works, but if validating the barcode requires Internet connection, I suppose it's possible they can't validate m-tickets on certain parts of the network, especially in the Highlands.

 

[sannox]

Many of these are short hops to barriered stations - I'd suggest that people are making longer journeys, not getting tickets checked and are then paying the cheapest ticket to get through the barriers.

 

[styles]

Difficult to buy a paper ticket from Slateford when you see the Haymarket barriers are in operation - easy with an M-ticket.

Presumably quite a limited impact restricting this on ScotRail's side - I'd imagine the type of person to dodge fares in this way is wise enough to use Thetrainline (no fees for same-day travel also) or just any other retailer offering m-tickets.

 

[sannox]

Presumably quite a limited impact restricting this on ScotRail's side - I'd imagine the type of person to dodge fares in this way is wise enough to use Thetrainline (no fees for same-day travel also) or just any other retailer offering m-tickets.

They'll be removed for all retailers. Can't seem to get it on the trainline.

I'm not sure how tap and pay prevents this however.

 

[OscarH]

I suspect maybe twofold.

Firstly m-tickets are different to e-tickets in that you choose when to activate your m-ticket. So you could choose to only activate your m-ticket when you think you're going to be caught by a guard, or if you think you won't be caught by a guard, don't activate it and save it for another day.

Secondly I don't know how the backend of these ticket systems works, but if validating the barcode requires Internet connection, I suppose it's possible they can't validate m-tickets on certain parts of the network, especially in the Highlands.

Validating doesn't require a live internet connection

Difficult to buy a paper ticket from Slateford when you see the Haymarket barriers are in operation - easy with an M-ticket.

There are well known and used ways to prevent this used by other TOCs that don't catch out and annoy your regular customers who suddenly have to mess about with unreliable ticket machines to collect.

Unfortunately, kind of approach is what you'd expect from a company insisting on mTickets and not eTickets still when everyone else has applied common sense and changed over

 

[embers25]

For Slateford-Edinburgh GWR only offer smartcard for trips within 30mins. So they are basically forcing walk up passengers to queue at ticket machines or buy ticket in advance. Considering that most people use e-tickets now, this is a hugely retrograde step and I wonder how many just buy the ticket, not realising its smart card/pick up only as they don't check ticket delivery method as they assume e-ticket by default (not realising that Scotrail don't do e-tickets!)? Utter madness. I get the intention to stop donuting but its such a lazy solution to the disadvantage of many.

 

[BlueLeanie]

Tap and Play"?

I posted, then realised the embedded links were identifiable so quickly edited. It should be 'Tap & Pay"

 

[Bungle965]

For Slateford-Edinburgh GWR only offer smartcard for trips within 30mins. So they are basically forcing walk up passengers to queue at ticket machines or buy ticket in advance. Considering that most people use e-tickets now, this is a hugely retrograde step and I wonder how many just buy the ticket, not realising its smart card/pick up only as they don't check ticket delivery method as they assume e-ticket by default (not realising that Scotrail don't do e-tickets!)? Utter madness. I get the intention to stop donuting but its such a lazy solution to the disadvantage of many.

I think the chances of someone using the GWR app for that journey is relatively slim!
Also more problomatic is the fact that you'll be loading it to an STNR Smartcard also

 

[tram21]

Does anyone actually travel between these stations? It's clearly to combat fraud and I'm all for it, especially as you can now use Tap & Pay so if you are legitimately travelling on these routes you can use that?

 

[Haywain]

I'm not sure how tap and pay prevents this however.

By requiring the user to tap in, which is difficult if they are not boarding at that station.

 

[Adam Williams]

insisting on mTickets and not eTickets still

Oh, are mTickets what the machine at Glasgow issues?

 

[sannox]

By requiring the user to tap in, which is difficult if they are not boarding at that station.

I get that but presumably they are traveling though & could still use it to generate a code to get through barriers.

 

[Haywain]

I get that but presumably they are traveling though & could still use it to generate a code to get through barriers.

You would be expected to nominate a starting station and to tap in. There is a penalty for failing to do so:

An incomplete journey fee of £25 may be charged if a journey is not started or ended in the app.

 

[OscarH]

Oh, are mTickets what the machine at Glasgow issues?

The rules a TOC sets don't apply to itself, don't be silly

 

[johncrossley]

Presumably contactless is available either with a smartcard or bank card? They can't seriously be getting people to use ticket machines for such short journeys.

 

[TUC]

No commercial sense in Scotrail, such as considering how confusing it is for passengers to have m-tickets available for some flows, but not others.

 

[CyrusWuff]

No commercial sense in Scotrail, such as considering how confusing it is for passengers to have m-tickets available for some flows, but not others.

Or continuing to use a deprecated format that the rest of the industry stopped using years ago.

 

[Starmill]

Does anyone actually travel between these stations?

Well, South Gyle to Haymarket would be approximately two hours to walk, and that's assuming you're confident on your feet over that kind of distance. The train may only be 2tph but as it takes just 6 minutes I'm sure you can appreciate its possible benefits compared to the bus or tram?

 

[tram21]

Well, South Gyle to Haymarket would be approximately two hours to walk, and that's assuming you're confident on your feet over that kind of distance. The train may only be 2tph but as it takes just 6 minutes I'm sure you can appreciate its possible benefits compared to the bus or tram?

I didn't analyse the different routes close enough- yes I do agree that people would travel by train here.

Some of the routes seem fair enough to avoid fare evasion, such as Argyle St to Glasgow, but others this is probably inconveniencing the honest traveller too much

 

[Discuss223]

Paper tickets are the best way to go. No "my phone died" excuses, no buying only if a ticket examiner is approaching. Buy a physical ticket from the machine before boarding and it's better for everyone.