GWR Touch smartcard

[mattdickinson]

GWR are to trial a smartcard between Severn Beach and Bristol Temple Meads. It's branded as Touch, which is the brand that First Bus use for their smartcards.

 

[Via Bank]

GW finally being dragged kicking and screaming into 2007, then.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Every TOC has been asked to look at this for next year

 

[mattdickinson]

Now available to apply for at Welcome to GWR's 'touch' card

 

[Sleepy]

So will the Bristol / Bath bus version be compatible with rail tickets ?

 

[father_jack]

So will the Bristol / Bath bus version be compatible with rail tickets ?

Not at present. It will be used for weekly and monthly seasons only during the trial that went live yesterday.

 

[Class 33]

Now available to apply for at Welcome to GWR's 'touch' card

I keep trying to register for a GWR Touch Card, but when signing in I keep getting the "We'll be back on-track soon...

We had a problem processing that last request. Please contact the Customer Service team at [email protected] if you continue experiencing difficulties" message.

That's a lot of good!

Anyone else having the same problem?

 

[mattdickinson]

I keep trying to register for a GWR Touch Card, but when signing in I keep getting the "We'll be back on-track soon...

We had a problem processing that last request. Please contact the Customer Service team at [email protected] if you continue experiencing difficulties" message.

That's a lot of good!

Anyone else having the same problem?

Apparently if you already have a GWR account it will return this error if you don't use the same password

 

[Class 33]

Apparently if you already have a GWR account it will return this error if you don't use the same password

But I am using the same password.

Will have to email GWR customer support.

It doesn't let you buy normal one month season tickets anymore, only via the GWR Touch Smartcard which I'm unable to register for! Still lets you still buy normal weekly season tickets though, which I've had to do in the meantime even though that works out slightly more expensive.

Not seen many people using these so far. In fact I've only seen one individual using them!

 

[island]

It doesn't let you buy normal one month season tickets anymore, only via the GWR Touch Smartcard which I'm unable to register for! Still lets you still buy normal weekly season tickets though, which I've had to do in the meantime even though that works out slightly more expensive.

You are perfectly able to buy normal one month season tickets from your local staffed station.

 

[father_jack]

Apparently if you already have a GWR account it will return this error if you don't use the same password

No. It will return the error message if you DO use the same password. Start off using the touch link up thread. Then register with a different password to your usual GWR one. Any more problems feel free to PM me, I have a high level contact.

 

[Joe Paxton]

You are perfectly able to buy normal one month season tickets from your local staffed station.

And if someone wants to buy them on the web, there are plenty of other non-GWR sites that sell 'old-fashioned' printed season tickets.

 

[Class 33]

I've been using my Touch Smartcard for several weeks now. But hardly anyone else is using them. I've only seen just three other people using them! Doesn't seem to be massively popular! I wonder if they'll keep it going if such a tiny volume of people are using them? If they axe them, will just have to go back to using the old season tickets instead, and it doesn't make much difference really.

 

[DelW]

I've been using my Touch Smartcard for several weeks now. But hardly anyone else is using them. I've only seen just three other people using them! Doesn't seem to be massively popular! I wonder if they'll keep it going if such a tiny volume of people are using them? If they axe them, will just have to go back to using the old season tickets instead, and it doesn't make much difference really.

SWT installed card readers at my local station about 8 - 10 years ago - no less than two at each entrance despite the fact that the station was and is un-gated. In the years since then, I have used the station regularly and have only once seen anyone use a card reader. It's maybe not surprising as the system seems to be very inflexible - for anything other than season tickets, you either have to book in advance by ringing their call centre (good luck with that) or buy and validate each journey at a ticket machine - so what's the point? In my area they are also only available for journeys into and out of Waterloo.
I have a cynical feeling that someone on high has decreed 'you must introduce smartcards' but there has been no effort at all to make them useful or convenient for passengers.

 

[mattdickinson]

SWT installed card readers at my local station about 8 - 10 years ago - no less than two at each entrance despite the fact that the station was and is un-gated. In the years since then, I have used the station regularly and have only once seen anyone use a card reader. It's maybe not surprising as the system seems to be very inflexible - for anything other than season tickets, you either have to book in advance by ringing their call centre (good luck with that) or buy and validate each journey at a ticket machine - so what's the point? In my area they are also only available for journeys into and out of Waterloo.
I have a cynical feeling that someone on high has decreed 'you must introduce smartcards' but there has been no effort at all to make them useful or convenient for passengers.

The trial seems be over, but there is a promise of a national smartcard scheme next year.

https://touch.gwr.com/

We’re bringing smart ticketing to our whole network.
By the summer of 2019, you will be able to use your touch card to buy a wide range of tickets on most routes across Great Britain.

To do this we need to upgrade our systems.

How this will affect you

• from 05 July we’ll stop accepting new touch card registrations until the end of September
• from 15 July you won’t be able to buy new tickets on your current GWR touch card
• from 15 August your current touch card will stop working

If you have a ticket that goes beyond 15 August, we’ll provide you with an alternative ticket. We’ll be in touch soon to give you the details of this.

When the new system has been launched, we’ll let you know here what to do to get your new card.

Thanks in advance for your patience