Smartcards - can't transfer paper ticket

[whole diary]

[Phantom]

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.

Does seem odd to need both, as the photocard number doesn't appear anywhere on the new SMART card, so there is no evidence they correlate other than the same person being on both photos

[Fourbee]

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.

Does seem odd to need both, as the photocard number doesn't appear anywhere on the new SMART card, so there is no evidence they correlate other than the same person being on both photos

When I got my SWT^▸ (South West Trains) (as was) smartcard without integrated photo I had to quote my photocard number. Presumably it's stored as a field on the card.

Do GWR ask for a photocard number before dispatching the smartcard?

[ChrisB]

If not, then that'll bewhy it's still currently needed. Your current season (that you transfer to card) will be tagged to your photocard, not your smartcard.

Renewal of season direct to smartcard will then obviate need for photocard, I guess

[plymothian]

Quite simply current tickets are issued against your pink photocard and stored in GoldSTAR, smartcards are issued against an online database that is not initially linked to GoldSTAR.

In addition, especially as this has just launched, your pink photocard is still available as a back-up for when things go wrong (eg if you lose your smartcard, GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) will issue you a CCST back up until you get a replacement) or for when no smart fare is available.

[grahame]

Quite simply ...

  Simples 

Do I get the feeling of a system that might be more bleeding edge than leading edge?

[1st fan]

When Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) first appeared I was living with someone who was a TFL^▸ (Transport for London) employee and had a staff nominee travelcard. I was given the oyster card as a replacement well before the public. I also had a paper record card just in case the oyster went wrong. Now as a normal travelcard holder I take my gold record card with my oyster because it's needed for claiming my discount on national rail.

[Phantom]

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.

No, just name and address and photo to be uploaded
Does seem odd to need both, as the photocard number doesn't appear anywhere on the new SMART card, so there is no evidence they correlate other than the same person being on both photos

When I got my SWT^▸ (South West Trains) (as was) smartcard without integrated photo I had to quote my photocard number. Presumably it's stored as a field on the card.

Do GWR ask for a photocard number before dispatching the smartcard?

[lordgoata]

As I had ordered one of these new fangled card thingy-ma-bobs I spoke to Ollie at Goring this morning, to find out what the process is (According to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) I can use it as I get off at Maidenhead which has the readers). The bit I am confused about is actually loading the card - ie. once purchased my GOR-MAI^▸ (Maidenhead station) season online, how to get it onto the card. It says to load it at Maidenhead, but then I assume I would technically be travelling from Goring to Maidenhead on Monday morning to load it, without a ticket - so that one confused me a bit.

Anyway, I digress, Ollie said he has the machine at Goring now to load onto the smart cards, but he didn't know much about it yet, but it does sound like its slowly being rolled out to more stations.

One question for anyone using them already - when it says to load it at the ticket gate / tap in/out at the ticket gate, is it the new bit they bolted to the gatelines which is used to read the QR^▸ (QR Code - Quick Response code) codes on the mobile phone app?

[plymothian]

Tell Ollie, he needs to put your card on to the smartcard reader attached to his ticket machine.
The on his Star TOM, select Other Tickets, then Read Smartcard.
Your ticket should then appear on his screen, if it is showing you are good to go.

The ticket barriers have a separate reader for ITSO smartcards just above the barcode scanner by where you would feed in a normal ticket.  It's quite obvious and has the standard yellow smartcard/contactless symbol.

[Phantom]

I often travel from Weston and Temple Meads on a crosscountry train, have asked a few train managers about these cards, they have no idea about them or how to scan them

[plymothian]

https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/tickets/smart

All I'll say is that every TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) has their own version and make no comment on how well staff know about the national scheme.

[lordgoata]

The ticket barriers have a separate reader for ITSO smartcards just above the barcode scanner by where you would feed in a normal ticket.  It's quite obvious and has the standard yellow smartcard/contactless symbol.

Ah! I did wonder if that was where it was, but frankly it looked like it was indicating where to feed the paper ticket into the slot above! I'd been wracking my brain trying to think if it was there before or not, but really couldn't remember!

Thank you plymothian!

[old original]

The ticket barriers have a separate reader for ITSO smartcards just above the barcode scanner by where you would feed in a normal ticket.  It's quite obvious and has the standard yellow smartcard/contactless symbol.

Ah! I did wonder if that was where it was, but frankly it looked like it was indicating where to feed the paper ticket into the slot above! I'd been wracking my brain trying to think if it was there before or not, but really couldn't remember!

Thank you plymothian!

Theoretically if you have purchased a smartcard season ticket online it should automatically load onto your smartcard the first time you tap it on the correct part of the gate, negating the need to go to the ticket office.
Best of luck with that!

[Phantom]

I'm a tad michivious (sic) at times, on the train home last night was asked for my ticket, showed my annual paper ticket and was asked for the associated photo ID.
I pulled this new smartcard out with my photo on, I was met with the reply "sorry I didn't realise that you were staff" !!

[ChrisB]

If you have a paper ticket, you need to carry your paper photocard. If you want to use your smartcard photo(card), you have to have your ticket on your smartcard also. I wouldn't recommend trying to game the system as the T&Cs on both will catch you out.

Crosscountry crew are unable to read smartcards! A smartcard season valid Oxford-Reading is already catching them out. The  train manager the other night smiled and accepted my (other TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)) smartcard - I guess they have to, as they can't prove otherwise.

ITSO smartcards are readable at any ITSO-enabled gateline - doesn't matter which TOC issued it. Chiltern smartcards are readable already at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) enabled gatelines. So theoretically, I could load a GWR ticket onto my Chiltern smartcard....I guess that's where we will ultimately get to - just having one smartcard available nationalyy for all tickets, regardless of which TOC issued the smartcard & ticket. Wish they'd get on with this!