Smartcards - can't transfer paper ticket

[whole diary]

[Tim K]

After my son saw a poster about the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Touch smartcard and asked why I hadn't got one (I managed to be one of the first people to get an Oystercard) I applied for one (after reading the posts on here about it being a soft launch)

A couple of days later the card arrived, but there's no details on the website about how to transfer a paper ticket to the smartcard.  I asked via the "question not in faq link" and they said any ticket office do that for me.

All excited I popped into the ticket office at Swindon to find that one staff member hadn't yet been trained, and the other staff member didn't have a working password.  They managed to read the card but couldn't work out how to transfer my ticket.  Undeterred I decided to try the next day at Paddington as I was sure they would be more prepared.  Had two staff members trying to work out how to do it as one thought it wasn't possible and the other was sure it had been added the day before but after about 10 minutes they couldn't find any option.

Unless I get some free time it looks like I'll be staying on my paper ticket until it stops working and see if they can re-issue it to the smart card, if not, it will have to wait until next years renewal 

[Phantom]

Apologies for sounding a bit dim
Do you mean that my paper annual season card can be transferred over to a smart card?

[old original]

Apologies for sounding a bit dim
Do you mean that my paper annual season card can be transferred over to a smart card?

Yep, once you have registered and received your card,  - and you can find a member of staff who knows how to do it!

[Reginald25]

If only all local transport (I'm in the Swindon/Bath/Bristol area) could operate with a Smart card covering buses and trains. The infrastructure seems to be there: virtually all local buses (Yes I did check the spelling) can read a ENCS CARD and an e-ticket, and the automated gates seem to do most things (although without the 'oyster style pad). One example of how transport operators and local regulators (such as county councils) can actually make life easier for us travellers. Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) in London, although perhaps now dated, revolutionized travel there, why not here! At least GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are starting with their SmartCard.

[old original]

Nearly all rail operators are introducing smartcards and by the end of this year you should be able to use any of them anywhere including on tfl. Exactly how that will work, I'm not sure,  as, unlike Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) you have to load a specific journey these cards, not just a monetary value.

Something different,  in that Cornwall Council are currently trying a smartcard for students which works on both trains and buses, so it is possible.

[Phantom]

Apologies for sounding a bit dim
Do you mean that my paper annual season card can be transferred over to a smart card?

Yep, once you have registered and received your card,  - and you can find a member of staff who knows how to do it!

Thank you for that, am fed up of my card needing reprinting etc
Where can I find a link to how to apply?

[Fourbee]

There are still complaints on twitter regarding SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) (and SWT^▸ (South West Trains) as was) travelcard smartcards not operating on TfL^» (Transport for London - about) buses. This has been a long standing gripe. Are GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s smartcards just for point to point journeys?

The old SWT smartcards could have train seasons and Megariders ('Stagecoach bus season') loaded on them at the same time. Not sure about the SWR ones as obviously the parent company has changed, but maybe the underlying tech/back end is still the same.

I'd have more confidence getting a paper ticket replaced promptly than a malfunctioning smartcard at the moment.

...your mileage may vary of course!

[old original]

Apologies for sounding a bit dim
Do you mean that my paper annual season card can be transferred over to a smart card?

Yep, once you have registered and received your card,  - and you can find a member of staff who knows how to do it!

Thank you for that, am fed up of my card needing reprinting etc
Where can I find a link to how to apply?

https://www.gwr.com/plan-journey/tickets-railcards-and-season-tickets/touch

[old original]

Are GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s smartcards just for point to point journeys?

Just seasons at the moment, any point to point journey by late spring...

[johoare]

I assume it's only season tickets for train journeys only so not travelcard season tickets?
Also does anyone know that if renewing online once you have one of these you'll still get the discount when the service has been below par or will that still require a trip to the station in person?

[Fourbee]

Also does anyone know that if renewing online once you have one of these you'll still get the discount when the service has been below par or will that still require a trip to the station in person?

I'm not sure, but when delay repay is introduced then of course you'll be paying full whack at renewal. I assume "legacy" holders renewing will get a refund.

[Phantom]

Apologies for sounding a bit dim
Do you mean that my paper annual season card can be transferred over to a smart card?

Yep, once you have registered and received your card,  - and you can find a member of staff who knows how to do it!

Thank you for that, am fed up of my card needing reprinting etc
Where can I find a link to how to apply?

https://www.gwr.com/plan-journey/tickets-railcards-and-season-tickets/touch

Thank you for that, all applied for
Delivery within 5 working days, then the real challenge trying to get someone at Weston train station to be able to transfer my annual pass onto this ticket

[Sixty3Closure]

There's not a great deal of information on the page is there?

I think someone else asked earlier but can I replace my Annual Twyford > All Zones cards with it or will it only work for fixed journeys e.g. Twyford to West Drayton?

Edit: There's a lot more if you actually scroll down. doh!!

[Oxonhutch]

Thanks for the instructions - couldn't find them before. Just applied for mine - let's see how it works.

[plymothian]

The swap in process is not fully available yet as not all permutations of seasons tickets between all stations are available for smartcards.

To see if you are in with a chance, search the season ticket calculator ensuring you tick the box for ITSO enabled fares, if no fares are found, your season ticket is not yet available on smartcards.  If it is you are in with a chance, but not guaranteed.

The swap over process takes a mimimum of 2 hours and you must be prepared to leave your smartcard with the ticket office for at least 2 hours for it to take place.

To effect a swap in, the ticket office staff member must log in to WebTIS and find your smartcard.

They then must select Add a ticket (swap in) and fill out the form using the details from your existing CCST - effectively replicating your ticket, which searches the season ticket calculator for your ticket, and will cost £0.  This is where the difference between a fare being available to buy and being available to swap comes in as the paid for fares might have been enabled, but the zero fare equivalents might not have.

Your must then leave your smartcard with the ticket office for at least 2 hours so the ticket transfer is processed and loaded on to your card. When you return, and provided the transfer has been sucessful, you then must surrender your CCST.