Using e-tickets and Merseyrail

[nedchester]

My son is travelling from Lockerbie to Liverpool tomorrow on the 05:50 departure.

He’s bought an off peak return e-ticket on his phone from Lockerbie to Liverpool (Any). As he want to get to Moorfields he has decided to change at Wigan North Western then walk to Wallgate and go in via Kirkby.

I’ve just realise that ME don’t normally accept phone tickets. However the off-peak return ticket IS valid to Moorfields.

Is he likely to encounter any issues? It’s the first time he’s done a long journey and is understandably wary!

 

[Fawkes Cat]

I wouldn't expect any problems (although I travel through L'pool on a paper season ticket rather than any form of e-ticket) but going via Wallgate and Kirkby seems over-elaborate: Moorfields really isn't very far from Lime Street (Google Maps suggests a 15 minute walk by what looks like a slightly complicated route, but I think the 17 minute walk at https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Liv...1a8a482!2m2!1d-2.9891269!2d53.4086448!3e2!5i1 is simpler) and without knowing his final destination quite a lot of places lie between Moorfields and Lime Street so his final walk might be even shorter.

 

[Djgr]

I wouldn't see that there would be a problem, not least because, as you say, ticket validity is not determined by whether it is paper or electronic.

That said, unless your son has a railway related reason to travel via Kirkby I would point out that Moorfields is only around a twelve minute walk from Lime Street (depending on which exit from the station he wants)

 

[nedchester]

I wouldn't see that there would be a problem, not least because, as you say, ticket validity is not determined by whether it is paper or electronic.

That said, unless your son has a railway related reason to travel via Kirkby I would point out that Moorfields is only around a twelve minute walk from Lime Street (depending on which exit from the station he wants)

It's question that he has an appointment near Moorfields at 09:30. Arrival at Lime St would be 09:12 + 15 min walk, whereas Moorfields would be 09:13 with a 2 min walk.

It is also a matter of principle. If he feels better going to Moorfields then so be it.

 

[yorkie]

I’ve just realise that ME don’t normally accept phone tickets.

Is it an e ticket (ie. PDF with barcode) or an m ticket (locked to an app)

Either way Merseyrail are obligated to honour any valid ticket, irrespective of medium.

 

[Djgr]

It's question that he has an appointment near Moorfields at 09:30. Arrival at Lime St would be 09:12 + 15 min walk, whereas Moorfields would be 09:13 with a 2 min walk.

It is also a matter of principle. If he feels better going to Moorfields then so be it.

Fair enough. It's not often that Moorfields wins the faster journey coming down the WCML and when it does it's usually via Ormskirk.

Of course Moorfields has two exits that are not very close together. I would check which one. Old Hall Street for the Passport Office.

Office of Road and Rail Statistics quotes nearly 7.4m passengers per year. Even I am astonished if this true.

 

[nedchester]

Is it an e ticket (ie. PDF with barcode) or an m ticket (locked to an app)

Either way Merseyrail are obligated to honour any valid ticket, irrespective of medium.

An m ticket but also he's been emailed a pdf with a barcode as well!

I would have got him a paper ticket but there's no TVM at Lockerbie apparently and the office is shut at 05:50! I was just concerned in case he has issues. It wouldn't bother me if I was travelling I'd just kick off about it if there were issues!!

 

[Merseysider]

The ticket is valid, and Merseyrail's barrier staff in Liverpool tend not to pay too much attention to anything, let alone the tickets being presented to them.

There shouldn't be any issues at all.

 

[M28361M]

I believe the situation with m-tickets is that Merseyrail do not offer them (or rather, do not allow Trainline etc to offer them) for journeys wholly within their network, but will accept them as part of a longer journey involving other TOCs.

 

[nedchester]

Pleased to say all seemed to work fine (well he’s not contacted me to say there were issues!)

He did say the train from Wigan to Kirkby was “cheap” and “like a bus” though!!

 

[Saperstein]

Pleased to say all seemed to work fine (well he’s not contacted me to say there were issues!)

He did say the train from Wigan to Kirkby was “cheap” and “like a bus” though!!

Sounds like a pacer

Saperstein.

 

[yorkie]

Glad to hear all was OK; it says a lot about how bad things have become (not on the railways generally but from a fares acceptance point of view) when people are worried about perfectly valid tickets being accepted.

It wouldn't bother me if I was travelling I'd just kick off about it if there were issues!!

The other alternative, is to ensure the passenger has the money to buy a new ticket. If they are refused carriage on a valid ticket, pay up and retain all evidence. No argument needs to take place. The evidence can then be used to obtain a refund from the TOC concerned and presented to relevant organisations such as the ORR.

This can be much more effective; otherwise staff who act inappropriately end up bullying people who don't know their rights and may never complain, while those who stand up for themselves are often "let off this time", thus perpetuating the inappropriate behaviour.

I know of a customer who paid up - after a discussion - when LNER's most infamously "desperate" Guard (no names need to be mentioned) refused to accept a valid ticket on a late night train to Sunderland. The Guard provided all the evidence he needed to obtain a full apology, refund, and complimentary first class return ticket to anywhere on any date within a year, after the matter was escalated all the way to the MD's office.

If there is a good chance of getting the wrongdoers into trouble if you pay up, then that is what I would recommend doing, as that is the best way to get them to stop their behaviour.

 

[ac-03]

The e tickets are a good move forward.

You get an email with the ticket that has a choice to print it out, show the QR on the email or add the ticket to your mobile wallet.

Some train companies also have an app where the ticket can be uploaded and then activated. As well as the above.

 

[yorkie]

Some train companies also have an app where the ticket can be uploaded and then activated. As well as the above.

e-tickets do not need to be activated.

You are referring to m-tickets, which are a flawed and failed concept now being phased out (see other threads)

 

[Djgr]

Pleased to say all seemed to work fine (well he’s not contacted me to say there were issues!)

He did say the train from Wigan to Kirkby was “cheap” and “like a bus” though!!

Welcome to Northern-land.