UK: Greater Anglia is to test the use of barcodes printed on paper tickets, which can then be scanned at barriers instead of being inserted into a magnetic stripe reader.
The trial will determine whether tickets bought from vending machines could be brought into line with smartcards, e-tickets and mobile tickets, which can already be scanned.
Ticket machines at 18 stations are being modified for the trial, which will run for three months from mid-December.
‘Passengers may notice tickets from the ticket machines looking a little different’, said Greater Anglia’s Head of Retail Systems Malcolm Cotter on December 7. ’They will be on plain white paper, instead of the usual orange, and will contain a barcode. These must be scanned at the ticket barriers instead of being inserted.
‘Staff on the trains and at the ticket gates will be able to provide assistance and advice while we carry out this trial and we would be grateful for any feedback from passengers who use them.’
| Trial stations |
|---|
| Acle, Brundall, Cambridge, Cambridge North, Cromer, Ely, Gunton, Hoveton & Wroxham, Lingwood, North Walsham, Norwich, Oulton Broad North, Reedham, Roughton Road, Sheringham, Stansted Airport, West Runton and Worstead. |
