Priority Boarding Trial at Paddington - August 2021

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

To prevent Reading commuters from taking all the seats! Leaving them available to the longer distance customers

[Bmblbzzz]

Only for timings. If your ticket is otherwise valid for travel, but just not on that particular train, the barriers will operate. There’sca limit to the info that a mag strip on a paper ticket can carry.

But a QR^▸ (QR Code - Quick Response code) code, which seems to be replacing the magnetic strip, can carry far more. Whether it is used in this way I don't know but I'm sure the potential is there if it should be wanted in the future.

[ChrisB]

But then you would need to remove paper tickets.....and have barriers for each platform.

[Lee]

Only for timings. If your ticket is otherwise valid for travel, but just not on that particular train, the barriers will operate. There’sca limit to the info that a mag strip on a paper ticket can carry.

But a QR^▸ (QR Code - Quick Response code) code, which seems to be replacing the magnetic strip, can carry far more. Whether it is used in this way I don't know but I'm sure the potential is there if it should be wanted in the future.

Over here, in the recent major refurbishment of Rennes station, all the ticket barriers were converted to scan QR codes, which are printed on all of our tickets.

Rennes is our Brittany rail network's flagship station - being the regional capital - and currently the only one of our stations to feature ticket barriers. We are still very much advocates of the "open stations" approach, with controls coming far more from the requirement to validate tickets in the on-platform "composter" machines before travel, along with frequent on board ticket checks.

As I've said elsewhere on the forum though, you can be expect to be very quickly challenged at a staffed station if you attempt to enter without a mask.

[ChrisB]

But then you would need to remove paper tickets.....and have barriers for each platform.

*Some* paper tickets are being produced that contain the QR^▸ (QR Code - Quick Response code) code - but I think it's from new ticket machines in booking offices & those used to mail out tickets - I've not yet seen any QR codes on tickets produced from the customer facing ticket machines yet, so a big upgrade to those is likely to be needed before all tickets contain a QR code.

But you'd still need to barrier each platform before train-specific rules could be implemented. Cheaper to man the platforms for the few trains that require specific rules.

[IndustryInsider]

To prevent Reading commuters from taking all the seats! Leaving them available to the longer distance customers

I did ask earlier, but I'll try again.  Is this much of an issue any longer? 

There are only, at a guess, a third of Reading commuters using the train (probably less than that on a Friday), and also the number of longer distance passengers travelling on business has no doubt shrunk.  I'll have to try and take a close look at the 18:04 on a Friday when I next get chance.

[Bmblbzzz]

I'm sure I've had paper (as distinct from card) tickets with QR^▸ (QR Code - Quick Response code) codes bought on train. But I might be misremembering, it's been some time...

[PhilWakely]

Before introducing Priority Boarding on services to the South West, GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) should first enforce the Reading 'pick up only' rule on all Friday afternoon services to Plymouth and Penzance.

I am sure they will welcome any workable ideas on how to do that.

The simplest solution would be an announcement at Reading advising pax for the South West to board the next available service to Reading West. Put a number of Revenue Protection staff on the platform at Reading West and then announce on the train that 'for operational reasons' this train will not be stopping at Reading, but will stop at Reading West instead'.

[broadgage]

Was priority boarding in use on the 18-04 from Paddington tonight ? (26/08 21)
If so did it work OK ?