Proposal to phase out paper tickets by 2020 - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

From CILT

Paper tickets for travel on the railroad will be phased out by 2020 with passengers paying instead by their mobile phones or smart card.

Patrick McLoughlin, the Transport Secretary, said the move away from printed tickets was necessary to make trains more accessible and allow passengers greater flexibility. 
Rail travellers in London are already able to use their ^Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) Card^ to purchase season tickets and pay-as-they-go on the capital^s rail, Underground and bus network.

In future, passengers will also be able to use their phones to make purchases and retain their ticket on their mobile device, as they can for air travel. Paper tickets, which have been used on the railways for 170 years, would be gradually phased out.

Mr McLoughlin said extending the system around the country would in particular make it easier to buy flexible fairs {sic - for God's sake, doesn't anyone proof these days!) and part-time season tickets, ending the "complexity which makes buying a train ticket much harder than it should be."

The Transport Secretary told The Times that transport had lagged behind industries such as the media when it came to taking advantage of new technology.

At present, travellers must buy separate tickets for journeys using different train operators. (eh?!!! - Ed)

Passengers in the north-east of England will be the first to get the opportunity to try out new technology which will allow them to access multiple services with a single ^e-ticket^.

[bobm]

"Railroad" - for goodness sake - they will be talking about "enhancing the travelling experience" next!   

[TaplowGreen]

Excellent news - especially if it is coupled with an exercise to simplify the fare structure, and perhaps the savings made through introducing the scheme could be passed on to customers via lower fares? (he said, watching a pig fly past the window!) 

[stuving]

That item from the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (sic) refers to, and in fact was a straight copy from, the Telegraph. So that is presumably where the blame lies.

However, that in turn says the minister was talking to the Times. That is not freely available online, but it did let me see the beginning of the article - dated 6th March:

Printed tickets for rail travel will be phased out within five years, according to the transport secretary.

Most passengers will use mobile phones or Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services)-style smart cards to pay for journeys by the end of the next parliament, said Patrick McLoughlin.

The shift away from printed tickets, which have been a feature on the railways for 170 years, was vital to make trains more accessible, he said. The move would make flexible fares and part-time season tickets easier to operate, ending the ^complexity which makes buying a train ticket much harder than it should be^.

I thought the dailies do not usually steal each other's words, and that half-confirms it. It does still contain that bit about making travel more accessible, which I rather doubt - in the sense that many of the people most likely to find the current system confusing would find e-tickets even worse.

[bobm]

It does still contain that bit about making travel more accessible, which I rather doubt - in the sense that many of the people most likely to find the current system confusing would find e-tickets even worse.

A very good point.  I have a circle of relations who find the fares system rather too complex for them and a look to me to buy tickets and reservations on their behalf.  How will that work once paper tickets go.  Is that more accessible for them?

[Rhydgaled]

What if your mobile phone is just a phone (not one of these 'smart' thingies), has a flat battery, or has been left at home or in the heavy bag your grandmother said she would take home by car for you...

In terms of new technology, I would much rather see a full roll-out of print-at-home tickets, to enable Advance fares to be bought at short notice from stations with no ticket machine. Even if there is a ticket machine, I probably wouldn't want to rely on getting the ticket out of it if making a connection out of a bus service. Alternatively, introduce a system to collect pre-booked tickets from the on-board staff (and (re)introduce somebody to do that if the driver would otherwise be the only member of staff on the service).

[ChrisB]

A) the same as if you left all forms if payment at home. You have to take responsibility for your own actions/property. It is no ine else's fault.

B) as long as you'll accept the extra fare hike to pay for your extra staff member. Most won't

[Brucey]

A) the same as if you left all forms if payment at home. You have to take responsibility for your own actions/property. It is no ine else's fault.

Back in January, I checked out of a hotel at 9am.  Then travelled round a city using my phone very occasionally.  Took a 5hr flight to the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) which landed at 10pm and found my phone was now out of battery.  No opportunity to charge it en-route.  Should I be denied walk-up rail travel because I haven't had access to a plug socket all day?

[ChrisB]

If you'd turned it off for those 5 hours....?

[Brucey]

If you'd turned it off for those 5 hours....?

It was in flight mode.  But my argument remains.  Just because I haven't been able to charge my phone, I can't buy a train ticket?  That is plain ridiculous.

[JayMac]

sic - for God's sake, doesn't anyone proof these days!

It annoys me too. Also when it happens in forum posts.

On the wider issue under discussion. Nobody should be prevented from accessing the rail network because they don't have a mobile device or facility to print a ticket at home. Not even in 5 years time.

[paul7575]

I see the last line of the Telegraph's article was total rubbish then:

"At present, travellers must buy separate tickets for journeys using different train operators."

I think a few of the online comments attempted to correct this but were probably overwhelmed by others...

Paul

[old original]

original article....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/11458358/Patrick-McLoughlin-paper-tickets-will-be-phased-out-by-2020.html

...with a Wessex 150 for illustration purposes!!

[JayMac]

...with a Wessex 150 for illustration purposes!!

Looks like Looe Branch.

[ellendune]

...with a Wessex 150 for illustration purposes!!

Looks like Looe Branch.

Which as the caption says is well known to be in the North East of England