Train companies must not axe paper tickets, disability and age campaigners have warned, as reports suggest that British railways’ orange card stubs could vanish in the next five years.
Northern Rail triggered uproar this week after suggesting that the paper train ticket could become a thing of the past by the year 2029.
Campaigners hit back by warning the rail industry that millions of people still rely on paper tickets and, in many cases, are not able to use smartphones and ticket-buying websites.
Known as “magstripes” thanks to the magnetic strip glued to the back of the orange ticket card, the current paper train ticket was introduced in 2014.
A spokesman for Northern said: “At the current rate of decline and with an ever-greater focus on digital and paper alternatives, magstripes are definitely nearing the end of the line.
“They could be something of a museum exhibit within five years.”
Yet age and disability campaign groups cautioned train companies against withdrawing paper tickets.
Age UK warned that withdrawing paper tickets would affect “millions of people” and make it “impossible” for them to get around by train.
Caroline Abrahams, a director of the charity, said: “Any move to make all train tickets virtual is likely to be met with equanimity by those who are savvy smartphone users, but with dismay by the millions of people, most of them older, who aren’t online at all.
“At best it would make it much harder for them to purchase a train ticket and at worst it could make it virtually impossible.
“Technological innovation is a wonderful thing and potentially offers cost savings to organisations at a time when money is tight, but it’s incumbent on everyone to remember that digital exclusion is still a major problem in our society.”
In a warning shot to Labour, which is well ahead of the Tories in the latest opinion polls, Ms Abrahams said future ticketing plans must not “airbrush out” people who do not use computers or smartphones.
A spokesman for disability campaign group Transport for All echoed Age UK’s call, pointing out that some disabled tickets are only available in paper format.
“While Northern are quick to reassure everyone that all of their ‘standard’ tickets are available online, many of the discounted fares that disabled people use – such as the 50 per cent wheelchair user discount – are not, and have to be bought at a ticket office,” said the spokesman.
“The ability to pay in cash, to get staff advice on which fare is cheapest, and travel without having to use a smartphone are all essential for our community to access the rail network.
Non-internet users
“Disabled people are also disproportionately likely to be non-internet users; 23 per cent of disabled adults do not have access to the internet, compared to 6 per cent of non-disabled adults.
“Even for those who are online, many websites are inaccessible, and any attempt by rail companies to go fully digital will leave hundreds of thousands of people unable to access their services.”
A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group, the passenger train companies’ trade association, said: “There are no current plans to withdraw paper tickets, they will continue to be available for those who need them.
“The rail industry is moving away from magnetic stripe on paper tickets and replacing it with a printed digital barcode to work on recently-upgraded gate lines. This will complement the choice of tickets on smartphones and smartcards which are already proving very popular.
“Customer purchasing habits have changed dramatically since the pandemic with two thirds now using digital tickets for their journeys.
Labour has said that if it wins the election, it will set up automated ticket refunds for travellers delayed or left stranded by poor train services.
Yet such systems would rely on people buying tickets online, where computers can automatically calculate refunds and reimburse delayed passengers.
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