Rail Re-Openings - Dr Beeching

simong · Post by **simong** » Wed 19 Nov, 2008 4:31 pm

tyke bhoy wrote: Simon, the major reason for the barriers being manned is not to clear problems from jams but to allow through the myriad of people who do not have magnetic strip tickets (25% according to Metro). Those with the long thin tickets similar to the GNER ones. Plus only corporate issue Metro cards have been replaced which could still mean in 10 months before the last annual/quarterly cards without the strip will come to the end of their life.From this http://www.wymetro.com/News/081023-1.ht ... pose=Basic its worse because it looks like only Metro Cards bought at Bus/Rail stations will work for the forseeable and it does mention the scratch off Day Rovers too with no indication they will be phased out.Apparently the Oyster card ( and hopefully the YorCard) can be just waved over a sensor rather than fed through a machine so in combination with a photocard could just be shown on the bus and would not need removing from its wallet at Leeds station. Or maybe they will go with the value card which might explain the 2 year delay in implementation Metro suggested. I sort of guessed that they were around for stripless Metrocards and other non-standard tickets (DayRovers - hmm) although that there might be people with annual cards didn't occur to me. If they get renewed with the strip cards as weekly and monthly users they aren't going to last a year - London Transport's gold travelcard was made of a lot heavier duty laminated stock than the standard travelcard and they often ended up in a sorry state after six or seven months of regular use.On the whole if Metrocards aren't going to be updated in the immediate future it does seem a bit of a waste of effort on Northern's part - I know it's about revenue protection but it's not saving them money on manpower and on the evidence of the first month, they might have bought a bit of a pup.A contact(less) card system will most likely include ID for use on buses, although that does take away one of the handy aspects of the Oyster and similar cards - easy and mostly anonymous travel.

simong · Post by **simong** » Wed 19 Nov, 2008 4:36 pm

simong wrote: A contact(less) card system will most likely include ID for use on buses, although that does take away one of the handy aspects of the Oyster and similar cards - easy and mostly anonymous travel. Just read the Yorcard website (we should have a fishy name to go with the others around the world - how about the HaddockCard or OneofEachCard) and you take part in the trial you get a paper card too.

Post by **tyke bhoy** » Wed 19 Nov, 2008 4:51 pm

I suspect it will be YorCard here. As part of the plans for transport for the City Region WYPTE and SYPTE are trying to blur and eventually do away with the concept of cross boundary travel so thet it is seamless to the passenger for passes too.