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Are e-tickets the way forward?

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Haywain

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Do you ever come across fake Etickets that people have made on their phone/computer?
They exist but are easily spotted as the barcodes don’t show the right journey. It just relies on scanning properly.
 

Runningaround

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Not if you don't have a mobile phone or your mobile phone runs out of power. You don't need any power for a hard ticket in your pocket. It's also useful for writing endorsements on if you experience disruption and need to be passed on an un-valid service. You can't do that with a mobile phone ticket.
This where the smartphone comes into it's own as you can access amended timetables, see what else is running and change your plans on the go. You also have twitter, email etc so you can get in touch with the TOC's online team and get written proof of someone allowing you to use their train etc.
If it wasn't for my phone i'd have been left waking to a postponed football match and then hanging around like a lemon rather than amending plan onroute to do something else.
You can also loose your paper ticket without any proof you had bought one whereas a phone can provide evidence you are not intending to buy only when asked. You can lose your phone to but the odds of you dropping it and not noticing are slimmer than a piece of paper.
 

87 027

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My two recent experiences of etickets:

(1) work journey booked via our corporate travel agent. We order via an online portal and for several years now have a physical CCST ticket printer in the office. However with working from home and having not physically visited the office in between booking and travelling for this journey, I got an email with both a PDF of the ticket attached and a link to a format capable of being downloaded into Apple wallet. I printed the PDF as a backup but this was not required as the version saved to my phone was fine. Simple.

(2) leisure journey with the family over Easter. All of the tickets came attached as PDFs in the confirmation email to me and it was fairly easy to split them up and send each family member their own ticket to show on the phone at the barriers. As I had the original email I didn't bother with backup printouts as I can log onto email via numerous devices. Simple.

So in my view etickets are a very convenient option for the customer. As for phone batteries running out - yes they do deplete, just as cars run low on fuel. So refuel at appropriate opportunities!
 

Hadders

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People tend to mid-understand exactly what e-tickets are, perhaps the name doesn’t help.

E-tickets rely on the barcode (called an Aztec code) rather than a magnetic stripe to open the ticket barriers. Staff can also use a handheld device to scan the barcode during a ticket inspection meaning it is easier to identify fraudulent tickets and behaviour.

No-one is suggesting that tickets shouldn’t be able to be purchased at station ticket offices or ticket machines or that cash will be abolished as a method of payment, but in the future such tickets will contain a barcode rather than a magnetic stripe (many already do).

A ticket purchased online has the barcode included as an attachment to the booking confirmation. This means it can simply be displayed on the users smartphone should they wish. They can also print it themselves on a piece of paper. They might also choose to print it at a station but in future this will be a ticket with a barcode, rather than a magnetic stripe.

Go to a sporting event, cinema or theatre and it’s almost certain you will be using an e-ticket where the barcode is scanned to gain entry. You can present the barcode on a physical ticket or piece of paper but many prefer to show the barcode on their phone. The railway is moving in a similar direction.
 

AlterEgo

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Not exactly. It's a different method that I imagine requires different training. I have been warned not to go off topic but it's a different way of doing things that some RMT members didn't sign up for.
Judging my your posts in this topic you don’t actually have much idea of what an e-ticket is or what equipment you do (or don’t!) need to obtain one. So it is hard to imagine your objections as well-founded.
 

philjo

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One of the issues at my local GN station due to space limitation there are 3 barriers, one of which is a wide gate.
The wide gate is the only one fitted with barcode readers so when a fast train arrives from London in the evening peak there is always a queue waiting to use that gate. It usually coincides with a passenger needing to enter the other way using the wide gate with a bike or luggage etc.
I usually walk past 10-20 people queuing and exit one of the other gates with my paper ticket.

When booking travel for work, we have to use the corporate booking system. It used to offer e-tickets and also postal delivery but these were disabled 2-3 years ago. We also used to have a ticket printer on site but that was removed in 2019 when the supplier contract was changed. TOD collection from a TVM is now the only method for ticket delivery.
 

alistairlees

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One of the issues at my local GN station due to space limitation there are 3 barriers, one of which is a wide gate.
The wide gate is the only one fitted with barcode readers so when a fast train arrives from London in the evening peak there is always a queue waiting to use that gate. It usually coincides with a passenger needing to enter the other way using the wide gate with a bike or luggage etc.
I usually walk past 10-20 people queuing and exit one of the other gates with my paper ticket.
The other gates will be fitted with barcode readers shortly.
 

Jim the Jim

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People tend to mid-understand exactly what e-tickets are, perhaps the name doesn’t help.

E-tickets rely on the barcode (called an Aztec code) rather than a magnetic stripe to open the ticket barriers. Staff can also use a handheld device to scan the barcode during a ticket inspection meaning it is easier to identify fraudulent tickets and behaviour.

No-one is suggesting that tickets shouldn’t be able to be purchased at station ticket offices or ticket machines or that cash will be abolished as a method of payment, but in the future such tickets will contain a barcode rather than a magnetic stripe (many already do).

A ticket purchased online has the barcode included as an attachment to the booking confirmation. This means it can simply be displayed on the users smartphone should they wish. They can also print it themselves on a piece of paper. They might also choose to print it at a station but in future this will be a ticket with a barcode, rather than a magnetic stripe.

Go to a sporting event, cinema or theatre and it’s almost certain you will be using an e-ticket where the barcode is scanned to gain entry. You can present the barcode on a physical ticket or piece of paper but many prefer to show the barcode on their phone. The railway is moving in a similar direction.
The thing is with cinema tickets on my phone the worst case scenario (if my phone breaks) is that they don't let me in and I've wasted £12. Whereas on a train I could find I've wasted over £100 and am facing criminal prosecution. And I don't have a printer at home. So I would be very displeased if the railway stopped issuing paper tickets entirely, in whatever form.
 

jon0844

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Do you ever come across fake Etickets that people have made on their phone/computer?

People apparently modify valid tickets and change the text/date and then hope to just show to gateline staff and be waved through. If scanned, their evil plans are thwarted - but a trick is to purposely show an invalid code so it won't work, and hope to be let out by staff assuming a fault with their equipment

I believe in those cases, it's treated as if no ticket was held so won't work. Likewise, I've heard people using apps to simulate that the screen is cracked, and then say 'I can't scan - my phone is broken'. I assume the same happens for them.

Clearly these tickets have already attracted plenty of scams, and TikTok can be thanked for a lot of 'hacks' on how to avoid paying to travel on public transport (including how to open gatelines etc) which is probably why it's becoming a thing. Sadly, such scams are going to be as obvious as people who try all the same excuses for paper tickets and not work out well for the passenger.
 

pemma

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Can I ask whether those of you who routinely print out your e-tickets do so at work? I find the cost of ink cartridges is prohibitive for home use where we have to buy our own supplies.

e-tickets don't have to be printed in colour so a black & white home laser printer is perfectly adequate (and cheaper to run in the long term)

A black and white laser printer can cost 4 x times as much as a colour inkjet. They also aren't really designed for 'home use', who is going to need a tray holding 250 sheets at home? They also don't have the built in scanner option, which saves valuable space at home. You can specify black & white printing for pretty much any colour printer, to prevent it using the colour cartridge.

ink printers are a false economy too.

Manufacturers sell them as loss leaders and make the profit off the ink cartridges to go inside them. There's a reason why companies will pay you for old ink cartridges.
 

Hadders

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The thing is with cinema tickets on my phone the worst case scenario (if my phone breaks) is that they don't let me in and I've wasted £12. Whereas on a train I could find I've wasted over £100 and am facing criminal prosecution. And I don't have a printer at home. So I would be very displeased if the railway stopped issuing paper tickets entirely, in whatever form.
The railway is not going to stop people purchasing tickets at stations. And there will not be a requirement to possess a smartphone to travel by train.

How many times do we have to say this….
 

Runningaround

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It does amaze me that those moaning about E-tickets are on the internet complaining and will use their card to purchase a paper ticket at the counter or will go to an ATM, withdraw the cash and then buy a ticket. When they could done all that in 5 minutes with technology they are using to moan on here with.
 

yorkie

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The thing is with cinema tickets on my phone the worst case scenario (if my phone breaks) is that they don't let me in and I've wasted £12. Whereas on a train I could find I've wasted over £100 and am facing criminal prosecution. And I don't have a printer at home. So I would be very displeased if the railway stopped issuing paper tickets entirely, in whatever form.
Have you seen the threads regarding TVM collection issues? Not only that, but if you just have one physical ticket, you could lose it and you'd have to stump up again.

With an e-ticket you can store it on a backup device, bring a battery pack or print it (if there is no printer at your home or workplace, there are companies that will do this for you).

Of course if you are travelling as a group, other members of the group could have a backup of your ticket.

No such backup is possible with a paper ticket.
 

Runningaround

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In terms of m-tickets, the delay repay process asks for an uploaded picture of your ticket and asks if you have a barcode ticket or not, you cannot screenshot an m-ticket as the app doesn't allow it, you need to upload a screenshot that isn't the ticket, then when you request the refund it's reimburse to bank account or rail travel vouchers(I don't know if you can buy online with these yet). I'd like to the option of crediting your account to the value so I can use it to buy my next M-ticket.
 

nedchester

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I’ve just found this thread and can’t believe this is coming up again. eTickets are the way forward end of.

But the RMT aren’t happy that there are plans to shut ticket offices mainly due to the fact that they are selling less tickets!


The RMT starts a campaign to prevent the closure of ticket offices
 
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Runningaround

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But the RMT aren’t happy that there are plans to shut ticket offices mainly due to the fact that they are selling less tickets!

One reason I'm glad of online tickets is the ticket offices random opening hours and on a few occasions finding the sole assistant doing the following; Popping out to move signs as the trains approaching, head stuck in a Newspaper and sleeping meaning a rush over for the train and explaining to the guard and buying off him. Luckily the experienced staff are aware and sell you one on board, but buying online beforehand removes the doubt that you get done for not buying at a facility first.
 

Haywain

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But the RMT aren’t happy that there are plans to shut ticket offices mainly due to the fact that they are selling less tickets!
A major part of RMT's role is to protect jobs but ultimately that will be done by redefining the ticket office role. Even they will know there is little point in trying to hold back the tide.
 

Bletchleyite

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The thing is with cinema tickets on my phone the worst case scenario (if my phone breaks) is that they don't let me in and I've wasted £12. Whereas on a train I could find I've wasted over £100 and am facing criminal prosecution. And I don't have a printer at home. So I would be very displeased if the railway stopped issuing paper tickets entirely, in whatever form.

How often has your phone broken?
 

ainsworth74

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Please note we have a specific thread for the RMTs announcement today:

 

Deafdoggie

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For fear of showing my age, but I remember debit cards being invented. People were wary of them and said they'd never replace cheques.
My children don't know what cheques are, and don't realise you can buy paper tickets at the station.
Like it or not, agree with it or not, you can't stand in the way of progress.
E-Tickets are the future.
 

Xenophon PCDGS

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For fear of showing my age, but I remember debit cards being invented. People were wary of them and said they'd never replace cheques.
My children don't know what cheques are, and don't realise you can buy paper tickets at the station.
Like it or not, agree with it or not, you can't stand in the way of progress.
E-Tickets are the future.
The attempt to see the end of cheques came to a sudden end as most on this website will be aware.

Can anyone with knowledge of the coinage of Britain that has the head image of the monarch on one side say if it needs the consent of the ruling monarch if that too is also threatened.
 

Deafdoggie

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The attempt to see the end of cheques came to a sudden end as most on this website will be aware.

Can anyone with knowledge of the coinage of Britain that has the head image of the monarch on one side say if it needs the consent of the ruling monarch if that too is also threatened.
Cheques are, technically, still available and valid. But you'll struggle to find many businesses that will take them.
Many businesses don't take cash already. It doesn't mean cash will be withdrawn.
Orange paper tickets (back on topic) will remain available, but few people will buy and use them. Convenience and environmental concerns will mean virtually noone uses them.
 

Xenophon PCDGS

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Orange paper tickets (back on topic) will remain available, but few people will buy and use them. Convenience and environmental concerns will mean virtually no one uses them.
Whenever I have bought tickets from booking offices, they have always been card tickets with orange top and bottom stripes on the face, rounded corners and a black stripe across the reverse. I have never been issued with a paper ticket. What areas of Britain issue paper tickets? I am 77 years of age.
 

skyhigh

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Whenever I have bought tickets from booking offices, they have always been card tickets with orange top and bottom stripes on the face, rounded corners and a black stripe across the reverse. I have never been issued with a paper ticket.
Those are what is generally referred to as a paper ticket.
 

Hadders

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Here’s an example
 

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Whenever I have bought tickets from booking offices, they have always been card tickets with orange top and bottom stripes on the face, rounded corners and a black stripe across the reverse. I have never been issued with a paper ticket. What areas of Britain issue paper tickets? I am 77 years of age.
Crewe ticket office for a while when Avanti took over were issuing the paper tickets. Although last week I bought a paper ticket from Crewe ticket office and it was the orange card style.
 
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