Rail travel
Pictured: Left: Arriva Trains Wales; Below: Virgin Trains; East Coast information boards
“ Although Oyster cards have been a huge success in London, for smart
cards to work across the rail network, there has to be a cohesive approach among train operators
” PUSHING PAPER
AS PROGRESS on the ticketing front continues in fi ts and starts, one of the latest developments is the launch of plain paper ticketing by Chiltern Railways and Evolvi, specifi cally for the corporate sector. The system allows users to book Chiltern’s Mainline
‘premium economy’ business zone service between the West Midlands and London via TMCs that use the EvolvNG online platform, and then print their ticket and seat reservation on regular A4 plain paper. “This is the fi rst pilot of plain paper ticketing exclusively
for the business sector and we expect a strong take-up among corporate travellers who have been telling us for some time that they would value the ability to print tickets at home, says Jon Reeve, Evolvi Rail Systems’ trade relations director. “The pilot involves Evolvi, Chiltern Railways and a number of our TMC customers, and we will be monitoring passenger response with interest given the government’s stated desire to see the wider introduction of smarter ticketing technology,” adds Reeve. The package, which offers spacious seats, powerpoints,
free wifi , hot drinks and an at-seat service, will appear as a fares option within relevant EvolviNG booking searches. John Davidson, head of sales and customer relations at
Chiltern Railways, says, "The ability to print a paper ticket in the offi ce or at home certainly brings the concept of smart ticketing one step closer. While this pilot is focused on the Mainline service, it sends a message around the country that when train operators and retail providers work together, customers feel the benefi t."
➔ co-operation between different rail
operators and the airlines too. Travellers will expect to buy one ticket which covers all the different legs of the journey, across multiple countries.” Here the challenge will lie in determining who pays the associated GDS fees for such a development.
Get smart Although print-at-home (AKA plain paper) ticketing may be the cheapest ticketing method for the rail industry, there are severe limitations in terms of products and fares that can be fulfilled in this way. Many corporates expect the sector to provide smart ticketing, pointing to operators such as Chiltern, Heathrow Express and Gatwick Express as evidence of capability. Smartcard technology provides a greater insight into the travel patterns of any business passenger. From the moment a card is 'touched in', journey information including fares can be recorded, stored and accessed in real time. One buyer firmly in favour of smart
ticketing is Cap Gemini’s Roger Peters. “We want to shift ticketing to desktop solutions or mobile apps to make things easier for the traveller. However, there has to be greater consolidation between the various industry players and a single
approach adopted. I understand complexities but see no reason why a common platform could not be agreed.” But will smart ticketing be a fit-all solution? Caroline Allen of ACTE doesn’t think smart ticketing matters to corporate buyers. “Smart ticketing might save operators money in reduced administration costs or technology costs, but smart cards tend to be more commuter focussed, or for local travel. When the numbers get bigger, buyers want to know what each trip costs and reconcile these against cost centres. That’s harder to do with smart cards.” Ken Cameron also believes that smart
ticketing has inherent problems. “Although Oyster cards have been a huge success in London, for smart cards or smart tickets to work across the rail network, there has to be a cohesive approach among train operators or at least the groups that own the TOCs,” he says. “Then there’s the issue of how much
cash would have to be pre-loaded onto a smart card if the traveller is making long distance trips. You have to be careful with these new solutions that they don’t try to circumvent the controls that ensure travel expenditure is controlled.” HRG’s Tony Berry regards smart ticketing
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38 THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE
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