Advance ticket collection (formerly "Rail Appointed Travel Agents")

[whole diary]

[John R]

Out of interest I've just selected a ticket for tomorrow morning from Avonmouth to Paddington, and when I was given a choice of collection points entered Temple Meads.  A warning message flashed up:-

The station at which you have selected to collect your ticket is not the station from which your train will leave. You must have collected your tickets before starting your journey. If this is correct please click on Continue to proceed.

So it's fairly clear that you should collect beforehand, but this is hardly customer friendly, as Graham points out. And whilst Vacman's comments about people expecting a free ride into Temple Meads may reflect FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s view, I suspect the original poster had purchased an advance ticket that included travel on the branch, and if so was not trying to get a free ride, and had a printout of the booking to prove it.

If the national rail industry offers sales by internet, it has to keep up with technology. As an example, famille JohnR went to a concert in Birmingham at the National Indoor Arena this weekend (Jean Michel Jarre - tres bon!). Booked online the tickets were emailed and the barcodes scanned at the door.  Simple! Another example, the Italian rail network has sent tickets to mobile phones for at least the last three years, so why can't UK^▸ (United Kingdom) companies?

Honest passengers should not be penalised because the rail industry can't get it's act together. Even worse that they are accused of being dishonest.

   

[inspector_blakey]

Seeing as this thread has evolved to have almost nothing to do with rail-appointed travel agents, but quite a lot to do with mechanisms for collecting advance-booked tickets, I've amended the title...

[Brucey]

I have previously seen a technical specification document for Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains) Mobile which says it can connect to the National Rail database using 3G, GPRS^▸ (General Packet Radio Service - e.g. data over mobile phone) and 802.11.  Here is the document: http://www.casio.co.uk/pdf/mtd/Case%20Study%20-%20Atos%20for%20web.pdf (middle column on second page).

So a solution exists to issue pre-purchased tickets on the train, but the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) choose not to use it (perhaps due to the cost of upgrading the machines?)

Edited to add link

[Brucey]

ATOC^» (Association of Train Operating Companies see - here) have replied to my original query, namely are there are Rail Appointed Travel Agents in Bristol.  Apparently there are only three in Bristol

Ian Allan Travel Ltd QC 30 Queen Charlotte Street BRISTOL BS1 4HJ
E Thornton & Son Ltd 48-54 Baldwin Street BRISTOL BS1 1QP
Britannic Travel Ltd 10th Floor Tower House BRISTOL BS1 3BN

I might pop into the one on Baldwin Street next time I'm in the city centre, but don't hold much hope for the other two.

[inspector_blakey]

On a related note, am I correct in assuming that there are no provisions for collecting advance tickets at Heathrow Terminal 5, if you're catching the RailAir to Reading? I'll be booking my train journey from there home for Christmas shortly, seeing as bookings are now available up to 23 Dec - in the absence of any collection machines at Terminal 5 I'll get them mailed to the parents and ask them to forward them to me, since I'm assuming FGW^▸ (First Great Western) telesales won't mail tickets internationally, but it's not exactly user-friendly! I noticed at Bristol Airport last week there are FastTicket machines available, just a shame that there don't seem to be any at Heathrow!

[Brucey]

The NRE^▸ (National Rail Enquiries) website states that collection from the counter is available.  It also says about collection from TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine), but does state this "Ticket machines can only issue tickets, including collection of pre-purchased tickets for journeys on Heathrow Express or Connect services ONLY."

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/hwv/details.html

[inspector_blakey]

I spotted that one too...I'm just not entirely sure I trust it! AFAIK^▸ ('as far as I know') the ticket office at HWV is some kind of hybrid that issues tickets for LUL^▸ (London Underground Ltd) and HEx/Heathrow Connect, but not sure if it can do ticket collection or sales for the whole network. Anyone able to advise...?!

[Tim]

So a solution exists to issue pre-purchased tickets on the train, but the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) choose not to use it (perhaps due to the cost of upgrading the machines?)

Edited to add link

Or do what they do in Norway with advance tickets.  The Guard prints them all out at the start of his turn and as he passes down the train he hands you your ticket in exchange for a look at your booking print out and your credit card.  

If that is too dificult then I would favour the current "grace and favour" system and it FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are worried about fraud then why not just have the guard start his day with a printout of all the day's advanced tickets from stations on his line.  If your ticket isn't on the list (or he has forgotten the list) he can call control to have your booking print out verified if he is suspecious.  

[ChrisB]

Or do what they do in Norway with advance tickets.  The Guard prints them all out at the start of his turn and as he passes down the train he hands you your ticket in exchange for a look at your booking print out and your credit card.  

Oooh, that would stop you travelling on any train but your booked one!

[JayMac]

Well, no. It wouldn't stop you boarding the wrong train. Dunno what sort of penalty scheme the NSB have in place though!

[ChrisB]

But if the ticket was only issued to you on the *right* train, it would bugger up any connections you might need to make with no ticket!