WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT OLD ORANGE CARDBOARD RAIL TICKET?

You’re familiar with that piece of orange card that train companies have been using for well over 30 years – but is it time for ticketing to get smart? And what would truly smart ticketing mean for passengers?

Our smart ticketing guru, Andrew Steele, Director of Corporate Strategy at SilverRail is at it again, this time he is sharing his expertise on rail ticketing with ‘Campaign for Better Transport‘ via their guest blog.

Here, Andrew discusses the latest ticketing technologies for rail, how they have emerged over the last 10 years, their impact on the industry, and more importantly, the customer experience.

“In addition to that old orange cardboard ticket, you might be surprised to discover that you are actually now able to use as many as 11 (yes that is ELEVEN!) ticket alternatives…”

“…What was initially seen as a ‘Smart’ revolution in ticketing has become the death of the universal and interoperable products enshrined in legislation at the time of privatisation.”

Andrew goes on to question what more can be done, and how minor changes to industry rules could transform UK rail for the better.

“Some of the ‘new’, ‘smart’ technologies that are being proposed for wider roll out are already between 10 and 20 years old, with issues of their own. Is it now time for a re-think about the possibilities that new technology can deliver to the rail passenger? Should the rail industry consider leap-frogging investments in already out of date solutions, to move straight to technologies that will be fit for purpose in a digital society?”

Read the full article here.