Friday 16 January 2015

Collecting online train tickets at the station

Normally collecting tickets bought on line (such as from the machines at Barking Station, for example), though it can be done at any machine, requires the card that was used to buy the tickets and the reference number provided by the ticket selling site. This is OK for most people, but not very handy for people who buy tickets on behalf of others.

But in Rail 765, Barry Doe says "it seems like some operators [which he doesn't name] ... allow some frequent 'trusted' customers to use any card to collect tickets. This means that those customers who have a history of successful purchases through the site are allowed to insert any card to bring up the on-screen keyboard on which to type in the reference number." "But, because there could [sc: can] be no general rule, people should be careful to check the wording on their printouts, to be sure they are allowed to do this."

By "printouts" I assume Barry means the information provided by the ticket selling website.

One such operator is Southern - See http://www.southernrailway.com/tickets-and-fares/buying-tickets/ticket-on-departure/ who allow this from ticket machines as well as human ticket clerks (only theirs I have to assume) and I'm not sure if you would have to buy tickets from their website.

Southwest, if I read it correctly, only allow it from human clerks - not from machines.

http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/how-to-buy-tickets.aspx

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