Can you collect tickets purchased on-line on the train

[whole diary]

[DavidH]

I buy tickets on line and usually travel from Wargrave on the Henley branch.  Station is unmanned and there is no ticket machine. 

I usually drive to Twyford the night before to collect the tickets from there.  However a couple of times the machine has been out of action.  The alternative is to collect tickets at Twyford when I change trains but the connections can be tight and there is often a long queue.

So, can I just give the credit card I used for the booking to the train manager for the tickets to be printed.

I ask this because I recently collected some on-line tickets from the ticket office in Bath. As multiple machines were out of action a nice person printed the tickets for me.  He didn't need my booking ref. just the card I used and he was able to print ALL the tickets booked on that card.  Hence, can a train manager print the tickets for you on board the train if you join at an unmanned station?

[the void]

short answer - no!

the avantix machines used by the TMs^‡(resolve) are not capable of interrogating the database and issuing tickets purchased online. star terminals at stations can.

[Tim]

No  (unless you are in Norway)

[Brucey]

New models of Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains) Mobile can do this as an optional extra, but this also requires a good quality wi-fi or 3G network.  AFAIK^▸ (as far as I know), no TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) has yet started using this "extra".

[Btline]

What's the policy then. Is your booking reference number valid on these occasions, or do you need the email?

[Tim]

The official position is you need the ticket.  Any departure from that is leniency/pragmatism, not policy.

Personally, I think discretion ought to be exercised in your favour if having no ticket is due to something like a broken TV machine, but it you are planning to travel without a tickert and get caught then I don;t have much sympathy.

[eightf48544]

For DB^» (Deutsche Bahn - German State Railway - about) you print the tickets at home they have some kind of machine readable doodle on them. On the train you present to the gripper and at the same time you have to present the card you purchased them with. The gripper uses his machine to read the doodle and swipes the card.

If you are first class they will also fetch you a bowl of soup (you have to pay though) to your seat.

[Chris from Nailsea]

... and may I take the opportunity to offer you a warm welcome to the Coffee Shop forum, DavidH. 

[grahame]

Hi, David and welcome to the forum.

Personal view - and I think I'm being logical here - is that having bought an advanced purchase ticket, you should be able to turn up at the station for your train and travel using the travel you have purchased and paid for even if you haven't physically been able to obtain the magic piece of cardboard. 

It should not be incumbent on you to make another journey to collect the ticket from a different station before you travel, nor to attend the starting station prior to travel if it only has ticketing at other limited times, nor to have to book so far in advance that there's time for the tickets to be posted to you if you happen to travel from somewhere where the railway industry has decided not to provide appropriate collection facilities.

It's quite reasonable to then expect you to collect the ticket at the earliest sensible opportunity during your journey - and the proof of purchase (e.g. credit card / code number printout) that you'll have with you anyway in order to make that collection should be sufficient for any railway employee you come across to prove your "permit to travel" even if he / she can't actually issue the ticket.  And that "should be" should be a matter of right and not of relying on the "leniency/pragmatism" of any members of staff you happen to come across.

Of course, what I think should happen and what the rules say are different ...

[eightf48544]

Here, here Grahame a very pragmatic response.

it seems to me the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) want it both ways. They want you to buy on line  to save them having to provide ticket issuing facilities at their stations, either staff and/or TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine).

Thus making it difficult to pick up the tickets that you've bought and paid for, but then they have the cheek to say , according to the rules, you haven't got  tickets thus are liable to a penalty or paying twice for something you've obviously purchased.

Also they are are not prepared to fork out for the necessary money to provide hand held devices to enable ontrain staff to access the Reference Number and issue the tickets you've bought.

They've got the best of both worlds saving costs and collecting extra revenue.

[vacman]

when you book tickets online it makes it quite clear which stations you can and cannot collect your tickets from, if your local station is unstaffed and no TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) then the system will tell you this

[Btline]

What happens if you buy an Advance the night before? Your local village station has no staff or TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine). You have no car and the bus service to any near towns was axed years ago.

[Chris from Nailsea]

In such circumstances as those, Btline, I'd really have to question your sanity in even buying an Advance ticket the night before ... 

[smokey]

You can always take the view of a fine chap sorry low life, who travelled with his girl friend who seemed plexed about not buying a ticket, last time I was on the (former Southern) between Honiton & Axminster

Mr Pond life explained to her (and the whole carriage quiet loudly) I NEVER buy a ticket, it's cheaper to pay a ^20 penalty fare on the odd occasions that anyone is onboard.

At ^4.10 train fare I hope he gets caught a LOT

[JayMac]

Penalty Fares should not be issued repeatedly to the same person. Someone consistently failing to buy a ticket should be prosecuted under the Regulation of Railways Act 1889. A previous PF^▸ (Penalty Fare) would be enough evidence to show intent IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion).