Actual and Useful Information for Auckland Train Users – From 7th January 2013

 

As I have been hammering away on Facebook, Twitter and my “ARE YOU READY FOR A NEW FARE?” – the new “On-Board Fare” regime begins January 7 (so this Monday coming up) for those who travel on Auckland’s trains.

 

New On-Board Fare for Trains to Start 2013

A new brochure has come out from Auckland Transport reminding train-riders that they:

1. Must have a Valid Paper Ticket (from either a Ticket Office or Ticket Machine (see picture of one below)
2. Tagged on AT HOP card

FAILURE TO DO SO MEANS A PASSENGER IS LIABLE FOR A $10.30 ON-BOARD FARE.

 

Since then the travelling public should be seeing more brochures, website flags and posters “alerting” public to the face that this “On-Board Fare” regime is about to begin. However as always when taking a look to see how easy it is to access the information required to make an informed decision on such matters, the word “grief” comes to mind. So I’ll give it a shot a placing all the information from Auckland Transport in this post so that our Auckland train users can actually make an informed decision or choice on their travels.

 

Lets start with the flags, posters, notices and website stuff Auckland Transport are about to “hit us” with (or hitting us with if their AT Ambassadors are out and about):

 

Okay so that is straight forward: You need to have a tagged on AT-HOP card or a valid paper ticket BEFORE boarding your train service – and this includes Super Gold Card holders as well!

This piece from the AT website explains it (and I have mentioned this in a previous post before):

 

Notice for Auckland train users.

 

 

Click for full resolution as I have to keep this small and able to be read on Tablets

But nothing on the On-Board Fare or what to do if the machines fail

 

Next stop, the AT-Public Transport Front Page:

 

 

 

Click for full resolution as I have to keep this small and able to be read on Tablets

Right we have something there that crops up roughly in the middle of that web-page, however it interchanges with another notice so give it a moment for it to roll round. Now if we click on the “Fair for Everyone” portal, it takes us here:

 

 

 

I wouldn’t bother clicking it as the information provided is exactly the same as I posted in the “quote” section above the thumbnails.

However there  is nothing yet on what to do if the machines have failed and you can not either tag on (or off) or get a paper ticket from the ticket machine. Well click the “Click Here for More Information” link on that particular page (the link also works here as well) and you come to this:

 

 

 

 

 

Now heads up, that is a 1920×2370 resolution picture there so it is quite large. However basically if you managed to get to it and scroll down somewhat (actually it is at the bottom) you will get this:

What happens if the Ticket & Top-Up machine(s) at my station is not working at the time I need to travel?

 

If your journey begins at Britomart, Newmarket, New Lynn or Papakura train stations, you will need to purchase a ticket or top up your AT HOP card from the Ticket Office or another Ticket & Top-Up machine, and tag on, before you board the train.

If you are travelling from a station other than these and there is no other working Ticket & Top-Up machine where you can purchase a ticket or top up your AT HOP card, you need to record the time, date and location of the machine out of service and advise Auckland Transport on phone or phone (09) 366 4467. If you travel without a valid ticket because of a device malfunction, you may be issued with a Permit to Travel so you can complete your journey.

Please note:  From 22 December 2012 to 20 January 2013 train services will operate to a holiday timetable. Some Rail Bus replacements will be in operation:  Please click here for details.

Last updated 19 December 2012
Information is correct at the time of publishing and subject to change

 

And that folks is what you do if the ticket machine and/or tag posts have failed. And yes I know the number is a standard land line number not an 0800 number which means it will cost you to ring from your mobile. And yes I also know that apart from Britomart Station which has three (while Britomart, Newmarket, New Lynn and Papakura also have Ticket Offices), all other station platforms have one ticket machine on them which means either “nuts” or having to go to other platform on the other side of the tracks (Panmure, Papakura, Sunnyvale, Ranui are examples of this) to get your paper ticket if that machine is working AND your train is not about to rock up…

 

Oh and just for those who checked the AT-HOP website out, there was nothing there (in an obvious location) about what to do if the machines fail.

 

And so from January 7 – 2013 you must have a valid paper ticket or tagged on AT-HOP card before boarding your train service to conduct your journey (you must also hang on to your valid paper ticket until you either fully leave the station or pass through a gate line when completing your journey otherwise the On-Board fare applies if caught without that valid paper ticket) otherwise you will be charged the “On-Board Fare of $10.30 even if you travelled only 1-stage. A reminder that this regime applies to Super Gold Card Holders as well!

 

Hopefully this post has helped those who travel on our trains in alerting them to both the ‘On-Board Fare’ and what to do if the ticket machine and/or tag posts fail on a station platform.

I do have examples of what a ‘On Board Fare’ and ‘Permit to Travel’ look like, but that will be stuck up in another post later today.

 

Also I am expanding BR:AKL to implement a better “dialogue” section between readers and myself, as well as a “Tip” box (like Whale Oil has) for readers to forward information on anonymously on Auckland transport related issues. It was reader and passenger feedback that alerted BR:AKL to AT-HOP fares and the Family Pass situations and so I will extend BR:AKL to better cater for your feedback. I’ll post more on this expansion this weekend…