Great Western Coffee Shop

Amazing how rarely we notice facilities we don't use

Does your station have a photobooth for passport pictures for Photocards?

I know of the one at Chippenham (I should, I had some responsibility there as CRO for the designation) but I can't work out what good it is INSIDE the ticketed area ...   And I know there is not one at Melksham.

Where else are their photo booths?

Edit - correcting typo

I took my photo for a rail photocard at home. Handheld digital camera whilst stood against a magnolia background. Cropped to head and shoulders and compiled on my computer a contact sheet of the correct passport sized dimensions, then printed onto cheap gloss paper. Admittedly you do need those elements to hand. I just happened to have them at the time I got my first Season Ticket.

You don't need to comply rigidly with passport rules for a rail photocard.

As for photo booths. Many branches of Boots, even relatively small ones have one. Boots in Clifton Down Shopping Centre next to the station has one. Many Post Offices also have them, as do major supermarkets.

Something that could easily be added to the station facilities page on the National Rail website for each station.

Truro has one outside the ticket office on Platform 2, although you need to go through the ticket barriers to get to it.

Didcot Parkway has a photo booth next to the Spar.

Taunton has one. Again, inside the gateline.

Rather hidden. You'd never see it unless you use the lift to platform 5.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/HotspotDetails.aspx?stdCode=SME_TAU&fullsize=16051

I tried that for my latest passport. I took several photos and had to reject all of them because the lighting in my home with or without flash was not good enough. Every photo against a white-ish background had a shadow which the passport office will not accept. Eventually I ended up popping to Boots and using one of the new digital photo booths that gives you a code to transmit your photos to the passport office with your renewal application. I think it cost £6

Incidentally I quite like Burgundy coloured passports.  ;)

The one at Weston has recently been removed to do with the remodelling of the foyer / reception area for the new ticket barriers

Interestingly the last railcard I bought ( a two for 2 one) I uploaded the pictures online and the card was posted to me
The photocard with my annual rail ticket is one I had done 14 years ago - just about still going

My photocard is about the same age but sadly will need replacing upon renewal next month. My photo is now very blurry, the consequence perhaps of it being in my back pocket most of the time and getting sweaty. If I am ever offered a smartcard to replace my paper ticket I fear I will snap it just by sitting on it.

I did manage to do my passport picture at home and send it digitally, despite the only white background available being the inside of the bathroom door. I did have a lamp trained on that to eliminate the shadows, and I was also controlling the camera, which was on a tripod, remotely from a tablet. With all that set up, the big problem is how to stop doing retakes to get the result just so! Then, after all that, when the passport came back the picture was printed with the colour very washed out - technical issues, no doubt.

Tiverton Parkway has one in the ticket hall.