Smartcards - can't transfer paper ticket

[whole diary]

[Surrey 455]

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!

Yes I've seen the posts on the SWR forums. SWR are saying that the old SWT smartcards and the underlying systems need replacing or upgrading.
I moved to Bookham in summer 2010. There were smartcard validators already at the station but were not switched on. Last year they appear to have been energised and last month (December 2018) SWR announced that you can now use their smartcard at that station.

I could have opted for a smartcard when I renewed my annual Bookham to London Z1-6 ticket at the end of December but I chose not to for the following reasons:

• Reading the forums at https://forum.southwesternrailway.com ^* it seems that some users are having difficulty breaking their journey with a smart card. I often go to Epsom which is not (yet - coming soon) in the Tfl Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) area. My paper (actually flimsy plastic) ticket lets me through the barriers and at Ashtead and Leatherhead. All are managed by Southern. I want to be sure that these glitches have been resolved before I switch.
• For the last 30 years I have been keeping my season ticket / travelcard in my back pocket. Can I do the same with a contactless smartcard?
• Will I be able at some point to load my annual ticket to my phone and just tap in and out?
  

^* Google Chrome does not like that website. I have been using Edge just for that site only.

[eightf48544]

What a palaver!                 

I thought Smart Cards were suppose to save time.

[Phantom]

Thanks for the info Plymouthian

Do you mean the "Season ticket calculator" on this page? https://www.gwr.com/plan-journey/tickets-railcards-and-season-tickets/season-tickets
I can't see an option for buying anywhere?

[plymothian]

I mean this dedicated season ticket 'mixing desk'
http://tickets.gwr.com/gw/en/journeyplanning/seasonmixingdeck

If you tick 'Only fares that can be loaded onto an ITSO SmartCard' and search for your season ticket, if your season is found, then staff should be able to swap you in at a ticket office as long as the £0 swap in has been made available (most now have).

BEWARE the procedure has changed TODAY (14/01/19) but has NOT YET BEEN RATIFIED or communicated to frontline staff.  Therefore staff are not currently trained in the new procedure of how to do a swap in.

The main change is that instead of recreating the ticket as originally retailed, the ticket is recreated with the start date of the day of the swap in to the end of the original ticket's validity.


Yes, a cock up... someone recoded the website, and this could change again by next week!

[ChrisB]

What a palaver!                

I thought Smart Cards were suppose to save time.

It will - but you are all trying to jump before the system can even walk. Hence the 'soft' launch - the vast majority of fares aren't available yet & there's just a trial going on.

Give it some months & this will get a full-scale launch. Order your smartcard in the meantime & be patient.

[ChrisB]

Also - yes, ITSO cards should work the TfL^» (Transport for London - about) gates, I'm told - and other TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) gates too, if your season is valid at that other TOC station.

HOWEVER, I am still concerned at obtaining out-boundary extension tickets. You still can't buy them online, so you have to fo to a ticket office - any ticket office!. What if that ticket office can't read your ITSO card - how do you prove you have a travelcard season?

And no, I don't want to buy (necessarily) a point-to-point ticket from whichever boundary station I pass through to my destination. I might return a different (but permitted) route!....be wary....

[Phantom]

I mean this dedicated season ticket 'mixing desk'
http://tickets.gwr.com/gw/en/journeyplanning/seasonmixingdeck

Thank you, it appears my annual Weston to Temple Meads ticket is good to be swapped to a card

I'm intrigued how a train manager knows where my ticket is valid when they ask, assume they will have to scan it somehow?

[ChrisB]

They will have mobile card readers, like TfL^» (Transport for London - about) do.

[plymothian]

The cock up has been traced to the fact that last year's fares have been deleted from the system, so seasons bought before 2 January 2019 can no longer be found in the database to transfer over. 
Therefore, the alternative swap in system is being verified this week.

[Phantom]

The cock up has been traced to the fact that last year's fares have been deleted from the system, so seasons bought before 2 January 2019 can no longer be found in the database to transfer over. 
Therefore, the alternative swap in system is being verified this week.

My card was delivered yesterday, I will wait before this is resolved before I attempt to get my annual ticket uploaded

[didcotdean]

They seem a bit fussy about the photograph requirements - they won't accept the one of mine that was approved for use on a Passport.

[ChrisB]

Those that already have them - is the photo built into/printed on the smartcard - or is it simply for their use?

Also - if on the card, does the 'carry your photocard' instruction still apply (has it been specifically disapplied by fresh T&Cs?)

[Tim K]

The photo is printed on the back of the smartcard, no idea if I need to carry my photocard as well.

Quick update - managed to get my paper ticket swapped to the smartcard at Paddington.  Left the card with them on Monday and told to collect that evening.  I received an email during the day letting me know that the system had crashed and to come back yesterday and collect - wonder if that was related to the change of procedures?  I actually collected this morning and it's worked fine on the tube but not tried it yet on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).

[plymothian]

Those that already have them - is the photo built into/printed on the smartcard - or is it simply for their use?

Also - if on the card, does the 'carry your photocard' instruction still apply (has it been specifically disapplied by fresh T&Cs?)

Your GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) touch smartcard is also your photocard, BUT you will still need your pink photocard for the time being.

[ChrisB]

Is that being made *very* clear in the T&Cs for the smartcard?