If you have a paper ticket, you need to carry your paper photocard. If you want to use your smartcard photo(card), you have to have your ticket on your smartcard also. I wouldn't recommend trying to game the system as the T&Cs on both will catch you out.
Crosscountry crew are unable to read smartcards! A smartcard season valid Oxford-Reading is already catching them out. The train manager the other night smiled and accepted my (other TOC▸ ) smartcard - I guess they have to, as they can't prove otherwise.
ITSO smartcards are readable at any ITSO-enabled gateline - doesn't matter which TOC issued it. Chiltern smartcards are readable already at GWR▸ enabled gatelines. So theoretically, I could load a GWR ticket onto my Chiltern smartcard....I guess that's where we will ultimately get to - just having one smartcard available nationalyy for all tickets, regardless of which TOC issued the smartcard & ticket. Wish they'd get on with this!
I received email confirmation from
SWR» today that if I were to get one of their smartcards, I would not be able to tap on the gateline at Epsom (Southern Railway) to get out, I'd need to get a human to let me in or out. I've had my latest annual paper ticket (flimsy plastic really) for just over a month now and the print is starting to fade. It may not be long before I take the plunge and go contactless.
Thank you for your enquiry; unfortunately Southern Smart Ticketing doesn’t work the same way as ours meaning interoperability is delayed until later this year.
However, you can travel through the station as the break of journey is valid, the gateline staff will be able to read the card on handheld devices; just not on the gateline itself.
