Rail Staff Travel website not working?

[MalaiseForever]

Is anybody having issues with the RST website? Trying to buy a ticket urgently for travel and getting an invalid origin error, which I have never seen before. Origin is Birmingham New Street.

 

[harry2919]

Is anybody having issues with the RST website? Trying to buy a ticket urgently for travel and getting an invalid origin error, which I have never seen before. Origin is Birmingham New Street.

Yes. I have the same problem. It's really frustrating. This website is getting worse and worse

 

[MalaiseForever]

Damn - what provision is there for staff to travel when they can't buy a Priv ticket?

 

[harry2919]

It's not the first time it happened also 2 days ago wanted to buy single ticket on 15 minutes journey. They said they could not find connection...

 

[island]

Damn - what provision is there for staff to travel when they can't buy a Priv ticket?

They are, to my knowledge, still available from booking offices and guards.

 

[Haywain]

Damn - what provision is there for staff to travel when they can't buy a Priv ticket?

The ticket office, I'm afraid, same as for other passengers.

 

[greatkingrat]

They are, to my knowledge, still available from booking offices and guards.

I think Network Rail staff have to use the website and can't buy "in person".

 

[MalaiseForever]

The ticket office, I'm afraid, same as for other passengers.

Not for Network Rail staff like myself!

 

[CyrusWuff]

It's also affecting the text-only version of the site, but not other sites that use Worldline WebTIS (Great Western, South Western and TransPennine) so looks to be some sort of configuration error at RST's end.

 

[theironroad]

just tried a test and website comes up but says 'invalid origin' after putting station details in, though it does recognise the station.

 

[RJ]

It's also affecting the text-only version of the site, but not other sites that use Worldline WebTIS (Great Western, South Western and TransPennine) so looks to be some sort of configuration error at RST's end.

I was going to say, sometimes the text only version works when the normal site doesn’t, but it’s great fun having to go through the rabbits warren of options when you already know which fare you want to select!

 

[yorkie]

Yes for TOC staff, use the ticket office if there is one; if there isn't they are entitled to buy on board without penalty.

For NR staff, the position is unclear; perhaps someone could ask NR?

 

[MalaiseForever]

Yes for TOC staff, use the ticket office if there is one; if there isn't they are entitled to buy on board without penalty.

For NR staff, the position is unclear; perhaps someone could ask NR?

I visited Birmingham New Street ticket office and said the Rail Staff Travel website wasn’t working, showed my NR staff travel card and the helpful lady let me buy all the tickets I needed at the PRIV rate.

I bought my next 3 journeys over the next few days just in case this issue drags on.

But it really is not good enough to be relying on the goodwill of other staff.

 

[Peter0124]

Whilst I am grateful NR got a PRIV, they've been given the short end of the stick on it.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Update from RST:

RST Online outage​

RST Online is unavailable due to a system issue as of 29 February 2024.

As a temporary arrangement, holders of the RST Online Leisure Card may purchase tickets at National Rail station ticket offices at Priv rate whilst this outage is ongoing.

Once the issue in RST Online is resolved and ticket purchase is available, this arrangement will be withdrawn.

29 February 2024

Info will be posted to the RST News page when they have updates.

 

[Somewhere]

Probably due to it being February 29th. Bit like the Millennium Bug.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Probably due to it being February 29th. Bit like the Millennium Bug.

Possibly, though GWR, SWR and Transpennine weren't affected and they use the same backend (i.e. Worldline WebTIS.)

 

[Mawkie]

I think Network Rail staff have to use the website and can't buy "in person".

Out of interest, I see RDG have offered Network Rail the Priv with this weird limitation - does anyone know the reason why it's online only? I understand the discussion around the differences between the TOCs and NR and everything, but if RDG agrees to the idea that NR staff could have access, it just seems a bit petty to put extra restrictions on.

 

[greatkingrat]

I think there is a view within RDG that many staff don't buy a ticket at all, knowing that on board staff will likely let them travel for free. So requiring NR staff to buy online is an attempt to make sure they do buy a ticket. Trying to apply those rules to existing Priv holders would be harder as the unions would likely kick off.

 

[Haywain]

Out of interest, I see RDG have offered Network Rail the Priv with this weird limitation - does anyone know the reason why it's online only? I understand the discussion around the differences between the TOCs and NR and everything, but if RDG agrees to the idea that NR staff could have access, it just seems a bit petty to put extra restrictions on.

It's probably online only because that can more easily control the limitations of what tickets can be bought, and can control access (if you leave the industry you lose access pretty sharply).

 

[Mawkie]

I think there is a view within RDG that many staff don't buy a ticket at all, knowing that on board staff will likely let them travel for free. So requiring NR staff to buy online is an attempt to make sure they do buy a ticket. Trying to apply those rules to existing Priv holders would be harder as the unions would likely kick off.

Thank you.

It's probably online only because that can more easily control the limitations of what tickets can be bought, and can control access (if you leave the industry you lose access pretty sharply).

Good point.

TfL made a commitment to investigate access to Priv by April 2025, presumably under the same terms as NR (if I recall correctly, the NR deal cost them £250 per employee?). How many other organisations could potentially be eligible for that deal?

(Full disclosure: I have a Priv and it absolutely hasn't saved me anywhere near £250 in any year over the last 5 years, so RDG would be 'quids in' if I had that under the NR terms.)

 

[CyrusWuff]

RDG reporting this morning that the issue has been resolved.

Have to wonder if it was leap year related, though that wouldn't explain why other Worldline sites were unaffected.

 

[Haywain]

(Full disclosure: I have a Priv and it absolutely hasn't saved me anywhere near £250 in any year over the last 5 years, so RDG would be 'quids in' if I had that under the NR terms.)

It's saved me about £85* for leisure travel alone since mid-December, and I've had seven long distance journeys using free travel! I guess that the £250 is more an average figure, so RDG don't gain from those who travel less any more than they lose out from those who travel more.


*Allowing for the difference between Priv and railcard fares.

 

[OscarH]

TfL made a commitment to investigate access to Priv by April 2025, presumably under the same terms as NR (if I recall correctly, the NR deal cost them £250 per employee?). How many other organisations could potentially be eligible for that deal?

They should offer it to Third Party Retailer employees, the cost would definitely be worth it for some of us!

 

[RPI]

I did receive an email from RST a few days beforehand saying there may be an outage on the 29th, though seems to remember this being smart card specific

 

[800Travel]

Yesterday I was unable to purchase a new season ticket due to 'maintenance' on the smart card systems. Felt odd given I get them fulfilled as e-tickets anyway. As others have said, wouldn't be surprised if these were both some kind of leap year thing.

 

[Bungle965]

They should offer it to Third Party Retailer employees, the cost would definitely be worth it for some of us!

Do you not already have access to TADA discount which gives 45% discount?

 

[185]

What provision is there for staff to travel when they can't buy a Priv ticket?

This needs addressing by RDG. If their online cards cannot be used, there is no listed easement for use of booking offices, only a vague bulletin few of us actually noticed.

 

[OscarH]

Do you not already have access to TADA discount which gives 45% discount?

Yeah, and I understand before my time it was 75% too. Now it's 45 we have to sit and envy priv holders

 

[CyrusWuff]

Yesterday I was unable to purchase a new season ticket due to 'maintenance' on the smart card systems. Felt odd given I get them fulfilled as e-tickets anyway. As others have said, wouldn't be surprised if these were both some kind of leap year thing.

That was planned maintenance of RDG's Smartcard back office and affected all TOCs.

It was still possible to purchase Smartcard tickets from TVMs and Ticket Offices, though that's not much use for a Priv season if you requested to buy online when you applied for it of course.