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Unread 05-01-2007, 13:32   #1
MrX
Really Regular Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 585
Default Ticket collection problems.

There's a serious on-going problem with the IE ticket machines inability to read new Laser debit cards. It's starting to be beyond a joke.

Before Christmas I booked a train to Cork and arrived 25 to 30 mins ahead of the departure time at Heuston.

Tried my card in the machine, as usual it was incapable of reading it.

The 3 ticket desks seemed to be backlogged due to difficulty printing reserved tickets or something. I don't know what was going on but they all seemed to be chatting to eachother behind the counter and the queues were not moving at all.

20 mins passed.. then it became clear that I was going to miss my train.

At this point I rang Irish Rail and asked if I could collect my reservation anywhere else as I was going to miss my train and I explained just how long I'd been waiting. The person who answered, to be fair, was extremely helpful and immediately ran the information desk and arranged to have the ticket printed there and I got to my train *just* before they closed the gates on platform 7.

I just cannot understand why the machines can't be reprogrammed to deal with the 19-digit laser card numbers!?!

How difficult could it possibly be?!

AIB Laser/Masetro cards are *ALL* now re-issued and have longer numbers and I'm sure other banks have done the same. They are by far the most commonly held card in Ireland and really ought to work.

If they cannot accept Laser cards, perhaps the machines should be required to remove the Laser symbol from the front ?!
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