I've never understood why Translink couldn't get their act together and allow through tickets to be bought for combinations of trains and buses given that they are in a fairly unique situation of being one company controlling both.
-
Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Translink Subsidiaries Ticketing Integration
- Thread starter ajdunlop
- Start date
- Status
I've never understood why Translink couldn't get their act together and allow through tickets to be bought for combinations of trains and buses given that they are in a fairly unique situation of being one company controlling both.
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
Why should it be any more complex than anywhere else? If anything it should be easier given NIRail, Ulsterbus and Metro have the same parent company. A high proportion of passengers on Metro now use Smartlink cards (see http://www.translink.co.uk/Metro/Footer/Metro-Smartlink/ ) and extending these to rail to give through ticketing would be one relatively easy way forward. Besides which, since Ni Rail use paper tickets there would be no great difficutly in issuing paper tickets that were alos valid on buses, or vice-versa.
Paul Kelly
Verified Rep - BR Fares
I have at the back of my mind a memory that somewhere around 7-10 years ago Translink got a government grant that was to help with introducing integrated ticketing between Ulsterbus, Citybus and NIR. They spent it on introducing new ticket machines (the Wayfarer TGX150 on buses; not sure what they use on NIR but I think it is compatible) and put a lot of effort into GPS-tagging all the Ulsterbus fare stages, but didn't really progress the integration aspect of it very far. Although Citybus multi-journey tickets and Travelcards that were stored on the RFID Smartlink cards were able to be used on those Ulsterbus services (mostly in the Belfast suburbs) that picked up passengers within the Citybus operating area. That was definitely an improvement as Citybus paper 4-journey tickets were not previously accepted on those services. But I don't think much was progressed with regard to bus/rail ticketing integration.
Mutant Lemming
Established Member
Although both (along with the railways) are effectively 'state run' under the Translink 'family' they are run as seperate entities (as they were when they were Ulsterbus, Belfast Corporation and NIR). There was (not sure if it is still on the cards though) an eventual intent to privatise them seperately which may explain a certain reticence towards a full integration. Old habits also die hard and integration isn't one of the province's strong points.
As an aside it is good to see that Metro have now returned Belfast to a stronghold of the double deck bus.
Flying Snail
Established Member
- Joined
- 12 Dec 2006
- Messages
- 2,046
They do offer certain tickets that are valid on all 3 but they are zonal tickets or all services tickets.
Trying to combine NIRail, Ulsterbus and Metro (not to mention through ticketing with Irish Rail and Bus Eireann which is currently available) would be very complex. It would be one thing to use a web-based journey planner/ticket retail system but completely unworkable for on-board bus transactions which would be the majority of fares purchased in NI.
Flying Snail
Established Member
- Joined
- 12 Dec 2006
- Messages
- 2,046
It is one thing to have a large number of different fares for sale on the internet, at ticket offices or even on board trains but to do that on board buses (where I would be confident the majority of journeys would originate) would be a big problem. Every extra minute spent explaining ticketing options is another minute with a bus full of passengers sitting stationary at the side of a road. The service as a whole would suffer.
I am very aware of this as I have to deal with this regularly. The vast majority of passengers know what they are about or have straightforward requirements but it is easy to end up spending several minutes dealing with one individual with a complex travel itinerary and no forward planning on their behalf. This happens with a one-company bus only fare structure that has only a handful of options, add on the posibility of different multi-mode fares and the delays will soon escalate.
I am all in favour of integration but it needs to be done in the right way.
Areas like Tyne and Wesr manage such issues fine with their zonal Transfares system.
- Status