Operator Northern has announced that it believes that the iconic, orange ‘magstripe’ tickets that used to be the sole form of ticket on the nation’s railway network are likely to become historical exhibits within the next five years.
Northern’s claim is based on its ticket sales data, which shows a clear decline in the number of ‘magstripe’ tickets that it is issuing.
In 2023-2024, 18 million journeys were made on Northern’s network using the classic orange tickets.
This represented a fall of 2.3 million compared to the previous year, and accounted for fewer than 20% of journeys.
The majority of customers are opting for digital tickets, which provide greater convenience as they can be bought anywhere and at any time.
All standard Northern tickets can be bought as digital tickets and stored on the customer’s mobile phone.
The operator is also choosing to issue paper tickets instead of the multi-material ‘magstripe’ cards, as the paper tickets are much easier to recycle and are more environmentally-friendly.
The current version of the ‘magstripe’ tickets was first used in 2014 in a trial in which Northern participated.
The operator has also been doing its bit for the environment by recycling staff uniforms and has previously been in the running for The National Rail Award for Environmental Excellence.
All of our standard tickets are available in electronic format and people clearly enjoy the flexibility of buying their ticket ‘on the go’ and being able to store it on their mobile phone or tablet.
We’re also increasingly able to offer actual ‘paper’ tickets from our ticket offices and vending machines for those who prefer a physical proof of purchase.
Whilst ‘magstripes’ might generate a sense of nostalgia, it’s important to remember that because they’re made from more than one material, they’re less recyclable and could ultimately end up in landfill – whereas paper tickets can be easily recycled with other paper products.
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.
Northern Spokesperson
Responses
A printed ticket is my preferred option. People with e tickets on mobile phones are a damned nuisance; they cause delay at the ticket barriers and also on trains when ticket collectors come round. A flat battery onthe phone or a bad signal is too bad. If the technology is unreliable buy a proper ticket and then you wont get fined for a ticket irregularity!
I will not have any e ticket on my phone in case it can’t be displayed when required. The paper tickets are too large,and unnecessary in their size,they do not fit in a card holder like the orange tickets do with your railcard .I am also against having to do the work of the booking staff and print my own ticket at home on an a4 sheet if paper to use around 25% of that sheet. When I book advance tickets online, I always opt to collect at my local station from a machine, even if the booking office is open, feeling slightly guilty not going to the counter to collect my ticket to help keep staff, and why?, because I don’t want a large cumbersome sized ticket that has to be carefully folded so as not to affecf the qr code for scanning, where the orange,credit card sized ticket is perfect, durable and fits into a ticket wallet with a railcard.Another step back, and why change something that has worked for many yrs.
Paper tickets do not work the barriers. A lot more staff required.
Yeh they do. They have qr codes on them to scan at the gate
Once upon a time we had Edmondson card tickets. Good solid piece of cardboard easy to store, easy to issue, date stamped and easy to read. They lasted for over 150 years off rail travel and were made of recyclable material. Now, quite suddenly, the so called modern ticket has become hard to recycle, so what do we do? We go back to paper,just like the original railway tickets that the Edmondson system made redundant 200 years ago! Is this a forward step or a very long backward step? You just couldn’t make it up!
200 years of progress and we are back to square one!
A paper ticket will still be required for rover and ranger tickets that need to be marked for X days out of y period.
In the last few days I opted to buy e-tickets that I could print out at home, but not all my tickets purchased on line went to plan. One ticket somehow changed to collect from Station Ticket Machine. Could I change it to an e-ticket ? NO !
Anyone been to supermarkets or airports recently will have seen the delays with people insisting on using their dirty low brightness mobile phones as tickets, holding up the queues, whereas paper passes through at “High Speed” !!
i prefer the older style paper tickets
Until the Railways find a way of not penalty fairing or worse still prosecuting travellers whose batteries go flat or they can’t show their ticket for any reason I will still stick to printed ones (at the Railways expense).
That will only happen when people stop intentionally turning up with an alleged dead phone
We’re also increasingly able to offer actual ‘paper’ tickets from our ticket offices and vending machines
No mention of physical tickets going! Just available as a thermal printed paper ticket.
However, magstripe tickets will only disappear completely if TFL find the cash to upgrade their barriers and systems to read a OR code cross London ticket.
I very much agree. Not everybody has access to the technology and sometimes it is not as smart as it thinks. i have seen people with smart tickets trying to get a signal so that they can show them. Some form of printed ticket is vital.
What is crucial, in the short to medium term, is that some form of paper ticket continues to be available. I don’t think passengers will be too concerned , whether or not it is the magnetic stripe version or one that has QR code. There are still many people who are not comfortable with e tickets on their mobile phones and how to get them there, display and use them.