Expansion of mobile ticketing

[whole diary]

[grahame]

...If an Electronic Ticket cannot be displayed, you will be treated as if you were unable to hand a valid ticket over for inspection.

They seem to have covered themselves for this problem from the start...

So does that mean a possible penalty fare or even prosecution for having a flat battery?

[sprinterguard]

...If an Electronic Ticket cannot be displayed, you will be treated as if you were unable to hand a valid ticket over for inspection.

They seem to have covered themselves for this problem from the start...

So does that mean a possible penalty fare or even prosecution for having a flat battery?

If people want to use these ticketing methods, it's no one's responsibility but their own to ensure they have adequate battery charge. In my opinion, prosecution seems a little harsh.. but how do you distinguish between those that genuinely don't have any battery and those who have a "flat battery" but are really on the wrong train or have no ticket at all?

It's something the rail industry needs to address before these types of tickets are fully implemented IMO^▸ (in my opinion).

[ellendune]

Small cheap emergency batteries are available.  What if ticket staff had access to one with a universal cable system (also widely available).  They could perhaps make an admin charge for verifying the ticket. 

On short journeys the time taken might make it impractical - but then the fares should not be large, but on long distance services this might be a customer friendly approach. 

[Brucey]

The systems used abroad (and also on Megatrain) are far simpler.

On Megatrain you simply present the code (printed, hand written or on a device) to the guard who has a printed list of codes and names to cross-reference.

On the DB^» (Deutsche Bahn - German State Railway - about)/OBB EuroCity service and also on Trenitalia, the guard has a PDA or smartphone into which they type the ticket's code (or scan the barcode if you've printed the ticket).

With both these systems, you don't need a printer or expensive phone, just a pen and paper to write down the code.

[paul7575]

The systems used abroad (and also on Megatrain) are far simpler.

On Megatrain you simply present the code (printed, hand written or on a device) to the guard who has a printed list of codes and names to cross-reference.

On the DB^» (Deutsche Bahn - German State Railway - about)/OBB EuroCity service and also on Trenitalia, the guard has a PDA or smartphone into which they type the ticket's code (or scan the barcode if you've printed the ticket).

With both these systems, you don't need a printer or expensive phone, just a pen and paper to write down the code.

The 'simple code' scheme only works for a ticket that is valid on one specific booked train, like an Advance.  Once you get into tickets that are valid all day, or all month in the case of an anytime return you need something much more bullet proof to prevent repeated re-use.

Paul