Trainline Railcard

dosh37

I have a senior railcard stored on the Trainline app.

Apart from accessing the railcard, I don't really need to carry my phone when I travel into London.

I worry about losing my phone or having it stolen.

If I make a high res print of the railcard image that includes my photo and the QR code, can that be used instead?

I don't see why that should be any different to showing a printed version to a ticket inspector rather than on a phone screen.

Other advantages are that it does not rely on batteries and I don't have to find my reading glasses to navigate the app.

MSE_James

No, if you bought a Railcard on the Trainline app, then you will need to display it in the app on your phone, and a printout or screenshot will not pass muster.

For future years you can order plastic railcards from the official Railcards website, or buy a paper/card railcard from any railway station ticket office.

dosh37

MSE_James said:

No, if you bought a Railcard on the Trainline app, then you will need to display it in the app on your phone, and a printout or screenshot will not pass muster.

For future years you can order plastic railcards from the official Railcards website, or buy a paper/card railcard from any railway station ticket office.

Can someone explain why?

It would be just as easy to create a fake image on a phone display as it would on a print.

As far as I am aware, it is a simple static image.

I don't have data enabled on my phone so it cannot be updated dynamically.

beckstar1975

IME it is dynamic - although I've had only via the Railcard app but it refreshes each time you go to open it (and it tells you you will need to ensure you have data).

As has been said buy a physical card if you don't want your phone but by buying a phone one you have to comply with the requirement to store and show it from your phone

dosh37

beckstar1975 said:

IME it is dynamic - although I've had only via the Railcard app but it refreshes each time you go to open it (and it tells you you will need to ensure you have data).

As has been said buy a physical card if you don't want your phone but by buying a phone one you have to comply with the requirement to store and show it from your phone

I think you are wrong about the image being updated dynamically each time you run the app.

I just carried out a test:-

I scanned the printed version (created some weeks ago) using a QR scanner and uploaded the resulting text to a file.

Then I ran the Trainline app (with my phone connected to the internet over WiFi) and generated a new screen dump image of the railcard.

I used the QR scanner on the new screen dump image and uploaded the resulting text to a second file.

I used Notepad++ to compare the two text files.

They are identical.

beckstar1975

I said the Railcard app though, I don't use the Trainline one (my son has it but it seems much more problematic than than the Railcard one)

beckstar1975

It has a photo too

dosh37

The Trainline Railcard image also has a photo. Obviously it is a static image.

I would have thought it makes no difference if you show a printed version rather than an image on a phone display as long as the photo is that of the railcard holder, the 'valid until' date is ok and the QR code indicates it is genuine.

I would imagine the 'valid until' date also forms part of the QR code.

If you are asked to present your railcard when buying a ticket at a station, they only take a quick look at the photo and the 'valid until' date visually. They don't use a QR scanner to fully validate the railcard.

If you buy a ticket at a machine then the railcard is not checked at all. The only issue might be if there is an inspector on the train who has been told not to accept a printed version, even though there is no real difference.

baser999

Be easier surely to just take your phone with you? After all it has other uses? Understand concerns about losing it or getting it stolen but isn’t that the same risk with carrying a wallet?  Buy a bumbag?

MSE_James

The digital railcard should have a have an animation / hologram effect on the National Rail logo, which wouldn't be visible in a screenshot. 

Some train operators do now scan digital railcards too, so it's not always just a visual inspection. 

If you were able to display a screenshot or a printed version it would open the floodgates to people manipulating the holder's photo etc and multiple people using one railcard.

beckstar1975

I use Stocard to store all my cards on my phone and it generates a valid QR code for both my National Trust and English Heritage cards which can be scanned. They both have a policy not to to ensure there's not several people gaining entry to different properties at the same time using the same code. I would expect the digital railcard is online only for the same reason (ie their own system may not be connected enough to check that QR code is not in use at the same time someone else).

To use the Railcard app (again not sure about Trainline) you have to generate a code which then renders any other incarnations of the railcard invalid to ensure there's only one 'live' version at the same time, your solution would not enable this.