Can you collect tickets purchased on-line on the train

[whole diary]

[Brucey]

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

The problem is that although you have proof the ticket has been purchased, you have no proof that it hasn't already been collected.  This could lead to abuse of the system where a ticket is purchased online, collected by person A whilst person B (and even person C, person D and person E) uses the printout to travel free for part of the journey.

Of course, a simple solution to this would be a method of checking the booking validity by on-train staff.

[grahame]

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.

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

Of course, a simple solution to this would be a method of checking the booking validity by on-train staff.

I can see (and have been in) BtLine's position.   A ticket is available at a fraction of the walkup fare but is impractical to collect. In these circumstances it becomes like one of those misleading adverts that draws you in with a great deal, only for you to find "out of stock" or "not available to you" ... the sort of thing that advertisers take great care to write just short of wording that the advertising standards people would object to.

I'm agreeing along Brucey's lines - that if the Train Operating Companies offer these fares, they should provide a practical way for people to be able to use them, without having to make an extra journey prior to the one for which the ticket is bought.    How about conductors selling a ticket to the first TVM station where the traveller has to change, and issuing a code against which can be entered into the TVM to get a refund applied to the card of that extra fare when the ticket is collected.  Or is that too obvious?

[Btline]

I agree with Grahame. It's discriminating against people who live at unstaffed stations or who can't use TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine).

Re not paying: I know plenty of people who don't buy before they board. They buy a ticket if they have to - i.e. rarely. If they get RPIed or a temporary barrier is there, they just say they got on at the unstaffed station on the line. Much cheaper than buying a season.

Build more ticket barriers and increase RPI^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context)) numbers. Pay for it by making some trains DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)).

[JayMac]

Build more ticket barriers and increase RPI^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context)) numbers. Pay for it by making some trains DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)).

And that solves the problem of not being able to collect an Advance Purchase ticket at certain locations or on the train, does it? 

Making more trains DOO will mean it even less likely that on-train staff will be given the tools to issue AP tickets.

Madness! (or insanity  )

[eightf48544]

It seems to me that this is one instance that we the passengers are in the right.

If a TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) sells us a ticket online then that should be a valid transaction. No matter whether your local staion has staff or a TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) or you can't get to staffed station to collect be cause you only bought it the night before.

I'm afraid I don't buy the argument that another person could obtain the tickets whilst you retained the order. Most advanced journies have a seat reservation so you can't have two people siting in the same seat.

As I've posted before the TOCs don't want to tackle niggly problems like this because it's going to cost them money.

If any members of Coffee shop get caught not having tickets only an online form I would be prepared to contribute to a defence fund.

It needs to be sorted out for the good of the TOCs as much as us passengers.

It puts people off rail travel, I must admit that I still get jittery buying tickets online hoping I've got the right tickets for the trains I want to travel on.

My own view is that the railways are trying to emulate the airlines but in completely different enviroment. Most airlines don't have a 20 minute services to the same destination all day and don't generally don't have an open door policy with walk up tickets. Once a plane's  fully booked or overbooked, when people are left behind,  that's it no more passengers.

Rail is not like that, which is one of it's great advantages. In theory rail  allows spontaneous travel, however, the TOCS are supressing that advantage by pricing spontaneous travel off rail. Thus making us use our cars for such journies, which I didn't think was DaFT^» (Department for Transport - critical sounding abbreviation I discourage - about) policy.

[Btline]

I almost had this this morning. Turned up at the station to pick up my advanced tickets to find a HORRENDOUS queue. Luckily I managed to grap my tickets and board, but if the machine had played up, I'd have had to join the even longer queue for the ticket office.

I feel I'd left enough time. But I forgot it was Monday morning and straight after the Summer.

In my situation, I'm dammed though. If I jack it and board, I get chinged for a return (as I can only collect my return portion from that TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine)). If I queue and miss the train I still get chinged for a single (= the return price).

Hmmm....

[eightf48544]

I sympathise BTline a real catch 22 situation.

Do you queue to get your tickets and maybe miss your booked train or board the right train without a ticket, although you've obviously purchased one?

It's enough to put you of rail travel for good!

[inspector_blakey]

[devil's advocate mode on]

...or to encourage you to get to your departure station in plenty of time...

[devil's advicate mode off]

[Btline]

"plenty of time"

What is this? Why should I get there 20 mins before? The whole point of rail is to be quicker.

etc. The above post is devil's advocate.

It needs sorting - or we need smartcards/more accessible "mobile/iPod tickets".

[matt473]

Or there needs to be a sensible approach which many train managers with fgw seem to do in my experience. If station is clearly busy and large queues exist at booking office and tvm, then as long as proof of purchase of tickets is shown then you are free to travel with their blessing telling you to collect tickets at station you are travelling to if facilities exist. Those with the booking confirmation printed or e-mail to show on smart phone confirmation of booking when the train manager is checking tickets then it is likely the person is not trying to have a free ride and passed his ticket on. Of course the onus here is on the passanger to explain the situation at first opportunity to avoid trouble as hoping to not be asked at all just raises suspicion

[Mookiemoo]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) staff from certain depots if not pounced on by certain managers seem to be the most pragmatic of all of them!

I suspect in FGW land in any of the above scenarios - no ability to pick up, etc etc etc - 90% of TM^‡(resolve)'s would be ok if you explained and showed proof

Other TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)'s (South west being one of them) maybe not - I can't vouch

Most of them are humans and if you go find and explain and dont get aggressive they will be ok

[Henry]

 The only option is to be able to print your tickets on-line, I'm not aware if this capability
 exists on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) at the moment.

 Then again someone would use the excuse 'my printer did not print the tickets properly'.
 
 Despite all the petty critcism of FGW, I think the introduction of this technology has made life a lot
 easier for most of us.
 Remember you can pick up pre-booked advance tickets before the day of departure and at any ticket office.

[eightf48544]

Remember you can pick up pre-booked advance tickets before the day of departure and at any ticket office.

Agreed you can pick up in advance but it still means you have to make a probably unecessary journey to your nearest station that is able to issue prebooked tickets

[Btline]

Another reason why we need Smart cards. You buy online and load the ticket by touching the reader. I am shocked at the low speed the system is being rolled out. A trial was put on the LM^▸ (London Midland - recent franchise) Worcester to KID line years ago and it hasn't expanded! SN are just startig trials between Seaford and Brighton. Stagecoach have started installing it on buses and some SWT^▸ (South West Trains)/EMT^» (East Midlands Trains - about) routes. Go ahead the same.

Has First rolled it out on buses or trains yet? Why not have a trial between Oxford and Worcester, to link in with the LM scheme?

[Chris from Nailsea]

Has First rolled it out on buses or trains yet?

Yes, they have: see http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=9444.0