Paper season tickets to be phased out?

[Bletchleyite]

Your photo is encoded on the chip inside a passport, but as you'll know from scanning it in at an airport e-gate, the process is not very quick. It takes around 10 seconds to transfer due to what I assume is a very low bitrate with a lot of error correction.

No, the actual read is very quick (there's an app to do it on your phone if you want to see what's on there, and it takes well under a second). I suspect it's because of it doing checks with the Border Force's database like happens when you go to a manned desk; certain things there would result in referral to a person.

But TBH the idea of printing the photo on the card if relevant seems a good one to me, or just require Government photo ID to be carried (i.e. EU passport/driving licence), most adults have a driving licence and carry it all the time, and those who don't could request a railway photocard in the traditional way.

 

[johncrossley]

We've just stopped doing that!

The original Southern Key cards had a photo, but its successor from GTR doesn't. There must be a reason why cards no longer have a photo.

 

[RPI]

The original Southern Key cards had a photo, but its successor from GTR doesn't. There must be a reason why cards no longer have a photo.

The reason we were told was simply speed of issue, ticket offices were taking up to ten minutes to print and produce one card when photos were involved

 

[jon0844]

No, the actual read is very quick (there's an app to do it on your phone if you want to see what's on there, and it takes well under a second). I suspect it's because of it doing checks with the Border Force's database like happens when you go to a manned desk; certain things there would result in referral to a person.

But TBH the idea of printing the photo on the card if relevant seems a good one to me, or just require Government photo ID to be carried (i.e. EU passport/driving licence), most adults have a driving licence and carry it all the time, and those who don't could request a railway photocard in the traditional way.

That's a big improvement then because the last time I used the app it was very slow as I stated. Admittedly this was a good number of years ago because there has been no need for me to scan my passport since!

 

[Starmill]

ScotRail's cards have been issued with photos since I think 2015. West Yorkshire ones since I think 2014. Really not difficult.

The other obvious thing to do is just remove the photocard requirement for a 7 Day Season. It's really not worth the hassle for the fraud risk. Several tramway and metro operators allow it.

 

[Wallsendmag]

The other obvious thing to do is just remove the photocard requirement for a 7 Day Season. It's really not worth the hassle for the fraud risk. Several tramway and metro operators allow it.

We were told by RDG that this had been implemented but nobody could find anything to back up the claim.

 

[[.n]]

We were told by RDG that this had been implemented but nobody could find anything to back up the claim.

I suppose 2.1 from https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/season-conditions.aspx vaguely hints at the possibility

 

[Haywain]

I suppose 2.1 from https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/season-conditions.aspx vaguely hints at the possibility

Not really, that just covers the current position where seasons issued on a *registered* smartcard don’t require a photo card but do require some other confirmation of ID if the smartcard does not also carry a photo of the holder.