When is blue season stock used?

[redbutton]

I'm curious as to when seasons are supposed to be issued on "durable" blue [edit: or grey] stock instead of orange? I've been buying paper seasons for the last two months (first one 1m, second one 1m2d) and each time I've gotten orange which gets faded and demagnetized by the end of the month.

Is this just dependent on the local station (BKJ), the clerk, the TOC, the ticket, or all of the above? I asked the clerk while buying my last one, and he implied that whatever the machine spits out is what you get.

Should I try buying from another station?

Or maybe mail order?

 

[bb21]

Blue season ticket stock are for season tickets lasting one month or longer which are not eligible for a Gold Card. Also used for products such as PlusBus seasons.

Not all stations use them, as many have started issuing such seasons on standard stock.

 

[LexyBoy]

I'm not sure they are any more "durable" in terms of magnetisation; staff at Reading I've spoken to have said that their current stock of Gold Cards is poor quality and fail more frequently than they used to, so I suspect it's down to the batch as much as anything (or perhaps Season stock used to be better but it's now all the same).

I asked the clerk while buying my last one, and he implied that whatever the machine spits out is what you get.

Don't most fixed (non-Avantix) terminals spit out what the clerk puts in?

I expect smaller stations will be less likely to have some of the less usual / essential stock.

 

[district]

I was under the impression the blue stock was the old longer season stock. Most stations in my experience issue now issue such seasons on grey durable stock, even though the TIS says ''Insert blue durable stock'' when one of these seasons is sold. I recently managed to get some blue durable stock when buying a season ticket at a London Overground managed station.

 

[rdwarr]

I normally buy seasons for "one month plus x days" and my local station will either issue them on grey or orange stock. Grey does seem a bit more durable.
The only time I have ever had blue stock was when I had a replacement issued at Kings Cross because the orange one had stopped working.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Not sure if this goes here or in Fares Advice...

I'm curious as to when seasons are supposed to be issued on "durable" blue stock instead of orange? I've been buying paper seasons for the last two months (first one 1m, second one 1m2d) and each time I've gotten orange which gets faded and demagnetized by the end of the month.....

This might vary by TOC/Ticket Issuing System/day of purchase. I was firmly of the belief that Northern's FasTis Machine was two months or over as I have in the past issued 1m02d tickets on orange stock. However, the other day I issued a 1m21d ticket and the machine wanted a hand feed rather than hopper feed.

....Don't most fixed (non-Avantix) terminals spit out what the clerk puts in?....

Yes and no. I believe most office based ticket machines use Newbury printers which hold one type of ticket stock in a hopper. The TIS tells the printer if it needs to feed from the hopper (orange stock) or be hand fed (other stock/non-issues). Though you could argue that the clerk puts the stock into the hopper, they are not really in any control over the use of this stock.

....I expect smaller stations will be less likely to have some of the less usual / essential stock.

All ticket offices should have stock for tickets that they should reasonably be expected to issue. As a result, Northern's Manchester area ticket offices, no matter how small, have some WYPTE ticket stock, just in case, but don't have Network Railcard or Goldcard stock (for example).

 

[Be3G]

When I commuted to university I used to buy odd-period travelcard seasons (sometimes inboundary, sometimes outboundary) to match term times and they were always issued on the more durable stock. Felt more like thin plastic compared to the usual orange (or pink in the case of travelcards) card stock.

 

[oversteer]

The only blue monthly season I ever had failed in a week and was replaced by .. An orange one!

 

[Deerfold]

My season is an annual on blue stock, issued at Kings Cross (and last replaced there at the beginning of October having lasted a record 5 months). It's a ticket that's not valid for a Gold Card.

 

[bb21]

With respect to grey season stock, I am not aware of any specific difference between them and blue season stock. Seem to pop up pretty randomly.

 

[Class172]

All of my season tickets issued via school have always been on grey stock, which people who brought their own seasons got blue stock. Well that's what happened here anyhow.

 

[redbutton]

I just edited the OP to refer to grey stock as well as blue.

I'm not specifically referring to the magnetization, although mine did fail with three or four days left in the month, but what was more worrisome was that the plastic ticket wallet seems to take the ink off the ticket after a while. It was quite faded toward the end.

 

[maniacmartin]

I just edited the OP to refer to grey stock as well as blue.

I'm not specifically referring to the magnetization, although mine did fail with three or four days left in the month, but what was more worrisome was that the plastic ticket wallet seems to take the ink off the ticket after a while. It was quite faded toward the end.

Put the ticket behind the photocard or back to front and you won't have that problem. You will of course no longer be able to see it. The clear part of the wallet seems to fade the ink much faster

 

[island]

My understanding was that seasons were meant to issue on blue stock if valid for more than a month (but not just a month). This has probably been overtaken in practice.

Issuing on non-standard stock can be annoying on Tribute, which is roll-fed.

 

[CockneySparrow]

With respect to grey season stock, I am not aware of any specific difference between them and blue season stock. Seem to pop up pretty randomly.

The school kids have grey stock round here, I guess they pay for them through the college (at a reduced rate) and the college gets a job lot sent through the post/tnt presumably

Walk up and machines at stations only offer orange

 

[Muzer]

I remember mostly getting blue when I commuted from Andover to Salisbury for 7 years of my life (always buying from Andover, usually terms or half-terms in length), but I got orange when they had run out of blue. I think some kids got grey, but presumably from other ticket offices as I don't remember ever having any from Andover.

I do remember in the transition period between having the field labels pre-printed on the stock and having the machine print them, often getting tickets (maybe not seasons, maybe just walk-up tickets - I can't actually remember) over-printed with both.

 

[maniacmartin]

I do remember in the transition period between having the field labels pre-printed on the stock and having the machine print them, often getting tickets (maybe not seasons, maybe just walk-up tickets - I can't actually remember) over-printed with both.

My Gold card issued this year has that! Worse, the preprinted fields are in different places to where the TIS has printed them. A gateline assistant even asked me if I'd altered it!