Avantix replacement - coming soon to a train near you

[whole diary]

[Brucey]

I don't have any online sources of information, but this was gleaned talking to a Greater Anglia staff member.

Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains) (the bulky mobile ticket issuing machines used on trains) will soon be replaced with a new Fujitsu designed smartphone system.  This is will be Greater Anglia, Arriva Trains Wales and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) initially.

The new system will print tickets onto thermal receipt-style stock, with a barcode to open the barriers.  It will also accept contactless payments, in addition to the existing methods.

Should mean a much lighter device for staff to carry, less chance of running out of ticket stock and faster ticket sales for passengers.  Also will end the ticket swallowing by barriers (for these types of tickets and any others with a barcode), which is a major annoyance to anyone claiming expenses.

Being trialled on a branch line in South Wales before the rollout begins.

[JayMac]

I heard from a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) ATE that they start their trial of the new equipment this week. From Monday 7th June. Severn Beach Line the likely candidate.

Hearsay only mind.

[Adelante_CCT]

Announced last year

http://www.railway-technology.com/news/newsarriva-fujitsu-partner-to-launch-smartphone-based-railway-ticket-issuing-system-4605059

I believe other TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) are looking at it as well

[ChrisB]

hmmm. so no offline sales then? There are still a multitude of dead areas for mobile reception.

[Brucey]

hmmm. so no offline sales then? There are still a multitude of dead areas for mobile reception.

I can't see anything to suggest that.  Contactless can work both online and offline (mostly offline in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom)).

Ryanair now use an Android based solution for recording on-board sales.  These work offline.  The units communicate with each other using wi-fi, with the transactions returned into their online system when on the ground.

[ChrisB]

The production of barcodes needs generating/recording at the central server, otherwise they wouldn't be recognised by gatelines on arrival.

[Brucey]

The production of barcodes needs generating/recording at the central server, otherwise they wouldn't be recognised by gatelines on arrival.

As I understand it, they are not checked against a central database (imagine how slow this would be at the gateline).  The barcodes are "digitally signed" when printed, then decoded by the barrier.  All the information needed is held in the barcode.

[ChrisB]

when printed from an app?

[grahame]

As I understand it, they are not checked against a central database (imagine how slow this would be at the gateline). 

Just as slow as an Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) card which needs to do something with the central database 

[Brucey]

when printed from an app?

Yes.  The barriers do not check a database for the existence of a magnetic stripe ticket, so why the need to check for a barcoded ticket?  The information held will be exactly the same, but encrypted in the barcode.

[ChrisB]

To prevent anyone from producing their own barcode?

[Brucey]

when printed from an app?

Yes.  The barriers do not check a database for the existence of a magnetic stripe ticket, so why the need to check for a barcoded ticket?  The information held will be exactly the same, but encrypted in the barcode.

When the barcode is produced, it gets encrypted using a "private key" known only by the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company).  When scanning the barcode at the barrier, the system will try the "public key" from all TOCs to see which one sucessfully decrypts the barcode.

Unless you know the "private key", you cannot produce a barcode that will sucessully be decrypted.  Knowledge of the "public key" will not enable you to produce a decrytable barcode.

[ChrisB]

So it's secure within the app?

[BerkshireBugsy]

Because this is now discussing encoding techniques (which I accept would be useless without the relevant encryption keys) should this be moved to frequent posters club or at least be split?

[Brucey]

Examples of the new tickets have been posted on RailUK Forums: http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=2605110&postcount=123

Although the new tickets are currently only being used for on-train sales, I am hopeful that a full transition towards thermal roll printing will reduce the cost of TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) (as they won't need custom printing components) and lead to their introduction at more stations without such facilities.  This would also mean that tickets won't be constrained to a fixed size and multi-leg reservations could be printed on one coupon, rather than this: