Heuston ticketing

twenty8

Anyone know anything about the new ticketing system in Heuston?

When does it start? Going to be a bleeding nuisance!

lynchie

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/news.asp?action=view&news_id=237

godtabh

I was up there last Friday and watching the people arriving early for the trains was funny. There wasnt enough space for them behind the barriers

twenty8

They were in full operation last night and this morning. Chaos this morning - machines not working, swallowing tickets, massive queues etc. They need to get their act together.

CJackson

twenty8 wrote: »

They were in full operation last night and this morning. Chaos this morning - machines not working, swallowing tickets, massive queues etc. They need to get their act together.

nail.on.head

Got the 535 yesterday and at times it was like a mini stampede! Got into Heuston this morning around 845 and there was bedlam again

Genghis

Disappointing that these don't seem to be magentic cards / readers. I have an annual ticket, which I keep in a platic cover, inside my wallet, which can be very quickly 'flashed' at ticket checker. Now I need to take plastic cover out of wallet, ticket out of plastic cover, put through machine and reverse. All of which is a bit too much fumbling around for my liking.

I also wonder will my annual ticket deteriorate over the year, I know when I had monthly bus tickets they were pretty shabby at month end.

By contrast, the Luas card that also sits in my wallet only needs a quick placement at the reader - why couldn't Irish Rail do this?

bk

Genghis wrote: »

By contrast, the Luas card that also sits in my wallet only needs a quick placement at the reader - why couldn't Irish Rail do this?

They will, the barriers at all stations (and on Dublin Bus also) are all compatible with the type of Smart Cards used on the LUAS. They will be rolling out new contact-less smart cards for monthly/annual tickets later this year, just like Dublin Bus are currently doing. There will be a period of up to a year when both new and old cards will probably be available.

Genghis

Thanks bk, that sounds better.

dfx-

Genghis wrote: »

Now I need to take plastic cover out of wallet, ticket out of plastic cover, put through machine and reverse. All of which is a bit too much fumbling around for my liking.

How long does this take? :eek:

bk

dfx- wrote: »

How long does this take? :eek:

The problem is multiply the time, by thousands of people getting off and on trains at the same time and suddenly you have a major bottleneck.

dereko1969

i know this might seem like rocket science to you but here's a thought, take the ticket out of the 'pouch' before getting off the train, hold it in your hand, place in machine, take out of machine, hold in hand, whilst walking to luas/bus/taxi/office place back into pouch, try not to talk at the same time as that would take too much concentration, oh and try to remember breathing at the same time too....

Zoney

What seems stark raving mad, absolutely gobsmacking, is that the prebooked online tickets dispensed by the automatic collection point machines, don't work in the ticket barriers. I sincerely hope this is a *very* short-term situation as it would be bizarre to have the simplicity of online booking, automatic machines, etc. completely outweighed by having to queue at a manually operated ticket gate to *alight* from a train nevermind take one!

It's absolutely unacceptable to have switched to using these ticket barriers without such an essential part of the ticketing system being included.

Does this "hiccup" also affect the tickets you buy in the station at the other automatic machines?

dfx-

bk wrote: »

The problem is multiply the time, by thousands of people getting off and on trains at the same time and suddenly you have a major bottleneck.

Does ticket checking come as some sort of surprise? :eek:

Isn't it just the same validation as thousands of people in Connolly/Tara St/Pearse St every day?

Genghis

dfx- wrote: »

How long does this take? :eek:

Longer than flashing it at the guard.

elainee40

Have to say the line of people in the mornings trying to get through this is terrible. It needs to be sorted out me thinks

Victor

Genghis wrote: »

By contrast, the Luas card that also sits in my wallet only needs a quick placement at the reader - why couldn't Irish Rail do this?

You don't even need to take it out of your wallet.

Smart Cards are coming to Irish Rail later in the year. They are likely to be rolled out for annual and monthly users first.