The standard ticket type for decades. Here are just a few examples.

Introduced in the 1980s, APTIS (All Purpose Ticket Issuing System and later changed to Accountancy & Passenger Ticket Issuing System) became the standard ticket issuing equipment across the BR network. Produced for BR by Thorn EMI, APTIS had an extraordinary memory capability when introduced which gave it the ability to hold all fares from its "home" location to anywhere on the network. On the 21st centuary railway APTIS had serious limitiations and it was systematically replaced by CTS FasTIS, Fujitsu STAR, Shere SMART and TRIBUTE. These replacement systems are covered in separate sections below.
The final APTIS tickets were issued at Upminster in March 2007.

This section illustrates blank APTIS cards.

There are three main types of card. Most tickets are made of plain card. Season tickets have a composite material consisting of a thin but tough layer of plastic sandwiched between two layers of card. A few ticket types such as NSE-era Gold Cards and one issue of the 4599/8 Rover ticket are made entirely of thin plastic.

Season tickets are either weekly (7 days) and coloured green or monthly (1 calendar month to 1 year or any combination of months and days therein) and coloured grey. Within the former Network South East area annual season tickets carry additional benefits and are known as Gold Cards. These are issued on special Gold Card ticket stock.

Season tickets that include London Travelcards are issued on special ticket stock, green for weeklies, grey (later blue) for monthlies and gold for annuals.

DUPLICATE season tickets are issued to replace lost or stolen tickets.

REPLACEMENT season tickets (originally known rather confusingly as "Encoding Exchange DUPLICATES") are issued to replace tickets that have become defaced, illegible or where the magnetic encoding has failed.

A look at the back of various APTIS tickets. Perhaps the most arcane section on this site! This covers the standard APTIS ticket types, special offer and other rail industry promotions and Ticketmedia promotional tickets.

This sub-section deals with the advertising tickets that have been issued in the 4599/5xx and 6xx series. I have now illustrated all the advertising tickets in my collection. If anyone can supply images to fill the remaining gaps please let me know.

A selection of APTIS odds and ends including some rarer issues and a selection of incorrectly issued tickets.

Pictures of APTIS machines and ancillary equipment.

The complete 1986 APTIS "Handy Reminder" manual. Once the image has been opened, click on it again for a larger version.

The PC-based TRIBUTE system was developed in the final years of BR as a possible APTIS replacement. Although easy to use, it could not match APTIS for issue speed and so it tended to be retricted to Travel Centre and telesales use for which it was ideal. It could produce credit card sized tickets (CCST) or large format ATB tickets which are illustrated here. Earlier issues carried the "Intercity" logo.

TRIBUTE machines also have the facility to produce CCST issues, allowing gate passes and Railcards to be issued. The original CCST tickets were produced on a Russet dot matrix printer and used ordinary APTIS cards. They can be distinguished from APTIS issues by the distinctive font and bolder characters.

In an attempt to improve ticket issue speed the Russet printers were replaced by Swecoin thermal printers. These use a heat sensitive card, the various types of which are numbered in the 7599 series with the second part of the form number corresponding with the equivalent APTIS card.

TRIBUTE version 6.1 retains the Swecoin printer but uses RSP9499 fan-fold ticket stock and prints tickets in the Common Stock format. Some stations produce 6.1 tickets on RSP9599 stock. It has been chosen as the standard system for the National Express Group TOCs and so it can be found at stations all over the country.

TRIBUTE version 6.2 sees the Swecoin ticket printer replaced with a Newbury Data printer. Tickets follow the Common Stock format but unlike version 6.1 they are not of the fan-fold type. Virgin Trains are the first TOC to introduce this latest version of TRIBUTE.

STAR is an office based issuing system which was designed by Fujitsu as a replacement for APTIS. So far Arriva Trains Wales, Merseyrail, First Great Western, First ScotRail, First Transpennine Express, South West Trains and South Eastern Trains have taken on STAR as a standard booking office machine.

SMART is another of the APTIS replacements, this time produced by Shere. At the present time Southern and Thameslink are the only TOCs who have taken on this system.

Another APTIS replacement system, this time developed by Cubic. FasTIS was a late arrival on the scene but has an impressive functionality. It is the only new generation terminal to use a bespoke keyboard rather than an standard PC one. It has been adopted by Chiltern Railways and Northern Rail. The prototype machine (number 0001) was destroyed when High Wycombe station burnt down in 2005.

The "Evolvi" ticketing system has been developed by Harry Weeks Travel for use by travel agents. It produces CCST tickets in the Common Stock format. So far only five agencies are known to be using it but it is likely to eventually replace ATS and Elgar.

ELGAR was developed with Eurostar ticketing in mind and is used mainly by rail appointed travel agents and some telesales/internet ticket retailers as well as Eurostar. Very similar to ATB TRIBUTE tickets, Elgar issues usually have the word "Elgar" in the reference number and usually have a perforated counterfoil. There is no such thing as an ELGAR machine. It is merely a software package that can be used on existing travel industry reservation/issuing equipment.

A type of agency issued ticket, usually issued as part of a holiday package. Revenue protection staff have the right to inspect the supporting tour documents of passengers using these tickets. Inclusive tour tickets were originally manual coupon tickets similar to a NCR51. They are now either coupon tickets or computer printed issues.

ATS (Agency Ticketing Sytem) is used by rail-appointed travel agents. It is also sometimes known as AJENTS. The system was introduced in the latter years of British Rail although all the tickets illustrated here are later RSP issues. Tickets are of large format and printed on thin paper rather than card (BR 4403/44 or RSP 4404/46). Green ticket stock (BR 4404/34) was used for multimodal tickets. Before the introduction of ATS most rail appointed travel agents used either Edmondsons or hand written coupon tickets.

Hugin tickets were large format horizontal cards that were validated through a Hugin cash register. They were in use in the late 1960s and early 1970s so pre and post decimal examples exist. Hugins were used at selected larger stations on the Eastern, Scottish and Western Regions. British Rail eventually chose the NCR51 as the standard machine for larger stations and Hugins passed into history.

Before the spread of APTIS, NCR 51 was the standard BR ticket issuing system at most major stations outside the Southern Region. It was introduced at the end of the 1960s and used large, vertical format cards validated in a NCR51 cash register. Here are some examples of NCR 51s together with some early prototypes.

The BR Intermediate Ticket Issuing System, introduced in the early 1980s. This was an early attempt at a computerised system. However it still used part pre-printed ticket stock. It was used at a number of locations across the network buit never became fully established before being eclipsed by APTIS.

This type of ticket came into use in the late 60s and early 70s and was largely confined to the Midland Region, where it became standard booking office equipment at average size stations. The tickets had separate outward and return halves which were joined by perforations. The introduction of APTIS saw the removal of the last Handiprinter installations.

Many clerks consider Ulimatics to be the fastest tickets ever in terms of issue speed. They were first introduced in 1955 and eventually found their way to all the BR Regions, especially in urban and PTE areas. On the Southern Region they tended to be used along side NCR 21 machines with the Ultimatics being used for the most commonly issued tickets. Ultimatics lasted until the introduction of APTIS in the late 1980s. Ultimates are similar, but more often associated with the bus industry. They are usually of a vertical format and are fed by a roll of tickets rather than a fan-fold pack. They also lack the perforations between each ticket so have to be torn off, leaving a rougher edge than found on an Ultimatic.

NCR 21 tickets were the mainstay of the Southern Region for many years. The ticket is very similar to an Edmondson but is validated on a NCR21 cash register. The NCR 24 was an upgraded NCR 21 - identifiable by four digits before the decimal point on the price line rather than 3. NCR 24s never completely took over from NCR 21s before APTIS rendered both types redundant. NCR21s were also used to validate standard BR card season tickets and Edmondson platform tickets.

The Rapidprinter was used at a number of locations, especially in the Eastern Region and on Merseyside. They were also used for certain commonly issued tickets on the Western Region in the 1960s. It is a roll-fed machine and can be used as a self service machine as well as an office based issuing system. The Miniprinter is a smaller version of the machine found at some other locations. Mini and Rapidprinter issues are virtually indistinguishable from each other. London Underground made extensive use of Rapidprinters between 1926 and 1986. Examples of LU issues will be illustrated in the London Underground section.

The Multiprinter - a machine that issued Edmondson style tickets but printed all the ticket details at the time of puchase, doing away for the need for vast stocks of preprinted cards. Usage on BR started in the 1960s and lasted until the mid 1980s. Multiprinter tickets can be distinguished from Flexiprinters because they have the fare printed on the left hand side when viewed vertically and usually have a four figure serial number.

The Flexiprinter - a machine very similar to the AEG Multiprinter. Flexiprinter tickets can be distinguished from Multiprinters because they have the fare printed on the right hand side when viewed vertically and carry a 3 figure serial number. Unlike Multiprinters, Flexiprinter machines can issue season tickets although I do not have an example to illustrate.

This system was used for on-train issues and for small station use on the Midland Region and for on-train use only on the Southern and Western Regions.

Manufactured for BR by Thorn EMI, PORTIS was the standard on-train ticket issuing system. It was also used in booking offices at some small stations. The upgraded version, known as SPORTIS introduced several new features including a credit card reader and a memory capable of storing all BR destinations. Now rather long in the tooth, SPORTIS is being replaced by Advantix Mobile which, to date, is the only replacement mobile system to have been introduced.

The complete 1986 PORTIS user manual. Once the image has been opened, click on it again for a larger version.

Avantix Mobile was developed by Sema for the National Express Group as a replacement for SPORTIS. It uses a standard PDA (palm-top computer) which slots into a printer unit. It can print onto ordinary SPORTIS ticket rolls or onto magnetically encoded fan-fold stock. Most machines have now been upgraded to issue tickets in the Common Ticket Stock format. As well as issuing tickets, Avantix Mobile can provide the operator with fare and timetable information. The machine was notoriously slow when first introduced, but subsequent upgrades have improved the situation. It is likely that Advantix Mobile will spread to all TOCs eventually as there is currently no rival product available.

Widely used in the bus industry, Almex tickets were used on certain areas of BR for on-train issues. The Ffestiniog Railway also used Almex for on-train issues for a few years. With these tiny squares of badly printed paper rail ticketing had perhaps reached its lowest point.

The complete Almex A user manual. Once the image has been opened, click on it again for a larger version.

Widely used in the bus industry, this system was introduced on certain BR pay trains from the late 1950s. As well as on-train use, Setright Speed was often used for station car park tickets and for excess issues at ticket barriers.

Not strictly speaking a ticket, but a means of enable passengers to prove their intention to pay in Penalty Fare areas. Passengers put whatever coingage they can spare into the PERTIS machine and obtain a permit which is exchanged for a proper ticket at the first possible opportunity. Whatever coinage has been put into the PERTIS machine is credtited against the price of the final ticket. Originally confined to the former Network South East area, PERTIS machines have sprung up in the West Midlands and West Yorkshire as a result of Penalty Fares schemes. The machine itself is an Almex/Metric product and is similar to the Autoslot 88/89.

The Autoslot 88 is a very basic self service machine which sells a limited range of local tickets for cash only. It is very similar to the PERTIS machine, but has a dial to select the station and 4 buttons for the ticket type. Station names are abbreviated to a maximum of seven characters.

A more modern version of the Autoslot 88 is this Metric machine at St Ives. It is basically a modification of a standard Metric car park machine. I don't know of an other examples of this type of ticket machine.

This type of Bell Punch coin operated self service machine was unique to the Waterloo and City line, where six machines were located; four at Waterloo and two at Bank.

Multiset tickets were used at stations on the North London Line and a few other stations including Glasgow Central and London Kings Cross.

Agiticket was used only at Charing Cross and was introduces in 1983. It was broadly similar to the Autelca B100. Two experimental Crouzet machines were installed at Putney in 1987. Tickets from these machines are identifiable by the fact that all the headings for the machine-printed detail were also printed by the machine. The ticket stock carried form number CRZ 3595. A pair of Westinghouse machines were installed at London Bridge. The layout of these tickets showed no headings. Ticket stock carried the form number 3595/WC. Two Thorn EMI machines were installed at Abbey Wood. The tickets were very similar to APTIS issues, albeit on square-cornered stock. The machines were later moved to various stations on the Wolverhampton - Shrewsbury line. Ticket stock initially carried form number 3595/TEE, but after the machines were relocated, tickets without the oxide strip were used, with form number 3595/1.

Autelca machines came in 3 versions, all using BR No.3595 ticket stock. The B8011 was the simplest machine, capable only of issuing 32 different tickets and identifiable by the yellow machine casing. The B8020 was similar but the casing was red. The B100 was a more complex machine and was broadly similar to the later Ascom B8050. Tickets from these machines did not have the magnetic encoding stripe on the rear.

The Ascom B8050 self service machine was standard BR equipment in the Network South East area for many years. It was also used in other parts of the country, especially at large stations. It was developed from the earlier Agiticket and Autelca machines. BR called the machine SPOTIS (Simplified Passenger Operated Ticket Issuing System) but the more passenger-friendly name "Quickfare" was adopted later. The machine is capable of issuing weekly season tickets as well as ordinary travel tickets. B8050 machines are rapidly disappearing and being replaced by more modern equipment.

The Ascom B8070 is essentially an upgraded version of the B8050 Quickfare machine. The main changes are credit card acceptance and a screen display replacing multiple buttons. The font used on the tickets is also different. Examples of the B8070 can still be found around the network but is has now been superceded by the Ascom Easyticket range. It was marketed under the Avantix Multiticket name. South West Trains and WAGN Railway are the largest users of these machines.

The successor to the B8070, this self service machine comes in a credit card only version and a card/cash version. A number of machines were trailled at various locations but they are becoming more scarce as time goes on. Despite following the Common Ticket Stock format, this machines uses unique roll-fed ticket stock, form number RSP9199. Arriva Trains Wales are believed to be trialling a machine at Bridgend.

The CTS Queuebuster is a self service machine that accepts credit cards only. It was designed to ease peak time queues at booking offices by providing fast and simple vending of a small range of the most popular ticket types. It uses roll-fed thermal ticket stock and can issue seven day seasons as well as ordinary tickets. Chiltern Railways were the main user of these machines although they were also trialled by South West Trains, Thameslink & Thames Trains. The Chiltern machines were decomissioned during 2006 as they were not chip & pin compatible and have also been rendered largely redundant by the arrival of the FastTicket machines. London Underground use a derivative of the machine at some stations.

Shere Fast Ticket comes in a number of versions. Card-only machines with TOD capability have been around for a few years but more recently a card & cash version has been developed. Later models incorporate a chip & pin keyboard. Chiltern Railways, First Great Western, GNER, Midland Mainline, Southern and Virgin Trains use Fast Ticket. Like other machines, Fast Ticket has been converted to Common Ticket Stock format and uses the same RSP 9599 tickets as TRIBUTE 6.2

A self-service machine which comes in a credit card only version and a card/cash version. Contemporary tickets use RSP 9399 ticket stock which is roll-fed. Central Trains, First ScotRail, Silverlink and South Eastern Trains have adopted these machines as standard.

A selection of non-APTIS Railcards of various types.

A small selection of tickets issued for or on behalf of various Passenger Transport Executives. More PTE tickets can be found in the APTIS sections.

Tickets issued by railway companies for motor car parking or cycle storage.
Other car parking tickets can be found in the APTIS & TOC Branded sections.

A selection of card season tickets, rail rovers and runabouts from before the era of APTIS and computer issued tickets.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Privatisation and subsequent rebranding has brought a wealth of different seat reservation label designs. The introduction of new rolling stock with electronic reservation systems will presumably see the decline of these labels although to date only Virgin Trains have successfully introduced such a system. Here is a selection of different labels.

Handwritten tickets issued by business travel offices and rail appointed travel agents. Coupon tickets still see some use but in the main they have been replaced ELGAR and ATS.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

A look at some of the various types of platform tickets. Other examples of platform tickets can be found under APTIS and INTIS etc.

So called paper tickets come in various types and have been issued for various reasons. They are sometimes issued on an emergency basis, to cover for faulty ticket issuing equipment; they are often used to issue excess fares; they have also been used in the past by certain rail appointed booking agents. They are sometines know as "blank to blank" tickets.

This collection features tickets and ticket-related items from the post-privatisation era. Most travel tickets are produced for network-wide usage and not specifically TOC-branded but certain things such as free passes, car park tickets and promotional tickets do carry the name and/or logo of the train operator. Other TOC branded items can be found in the APTIS,Car Park and Shere FastTicket sections.

A selection of tickets from British light rail, metro, tram and funicular systems. The tickets of London Underground are covered in a separate subsection below.

A selection of London Underground tickets from Edmondsons through Ultimates and Rapidprinters to UTS and on to Oyster cards.

A selection of tickets from British heritage railways. This includes traditional Edmondson tickets and some other types. Narrow gauge railways are not included as they are covered in a separate section.

A selection of tickets from narrow gauge railways in Britain and abroad.

A separate section for the Ffestiniog Railway for two reasons. Firstly I have more FR tickets than any other narrow gauge subject. Secondly, the FR has used a wide variety of ticketing systems and indeed has introduced its own computerised system, TITAN. In 2009 TITAN was replaced by an upgraded system called ATLAS.

A selection of tickets from UK miniature railways.

A small selection of tickets from outside the British Isles. Captions are as yet unfinished.

A selection of tickets from railway shipping services and also some examples of more recent tickets from privatised ex-railway ferry services. UNDER CONSTRUCTION

A small selection of punch type tickets issued by conductor guards on board the railmotor services of the former GWR. They were usually printed by the GWR at Paddington but were sometimes obtained from comercial ticket printers.

Regulation tickets were usually issued for peak summer Saturday services when trains were likely to be full to capacity. They were essentially boarding passes and nobody was permitted to board the train without surrendering a regulation ticket at their starting station. A batch of tickets was prepared equal to the seating capacity of each train, and distributed amongst the stations at which the train called. The regulation ticket was free of charge.

Various tickets and passes issued for free travel.

A look at the various types of thermal ticket stock used by the new generation of TIS and TVMs which use the Common Ticket Stock format.

Photocards are issued with season tickets and certain types of Railcards as a means of preventing multiple users making use of the same ticket or Railcard.

Tickets produced in-house by Railtour operators. In BR days Railtour tickets were usually BR charter control APTIS or Edmondson tickets but post-privatisation tour operators have tended to issue and produce their own tickets. This is a small selection which mainly concentrates on Pathfinder Tours, but the scope will widen in time.

All sorts of different tickets and ticket-related items that don't fit into any other category.

Some pictures of ticket issuing machines, ancillary equipment and general booking office paraphernalia. Wherever possible I have put pictures of ticket machines in the relevant section, but these are a few pictures that do not fit anywhere else.

Not really tickets as such but worth including nevertheless. This isn't really a representative selection because I tend to collect labels from stations where I have worked or ones I have used regularly.

Various bits and pieces that are by no means tickets but are interesting none the less. Included here are a series of World War 2 station posters.

Restriction cards are given out with tickets to remind passengers of the terms, conditions and restrictions that apply to their ticket.

A selection of pocket sized timetables and timetable summary cards from BR to the present day.

Paper labels produced for affixing to train windows to show stopping patterns or other information for passengers.

Railway letter stamps, parcel stamps and newspaper stamps produced by BR, the pre-nationalisation companies and the pre-grouping companies. This is not a comprehensive selection as I don't have very many due to the high prices they sell for.

Railway letter services are maintained in a small way by a number of heritage railways, mainly for the benefit of philatelists. Here are a few examples:

A selection of first day covers and envelopes with a railway theme.

Railway parcel stamps were used very extensively in Belgium where the state railway (SNCB) was the main parcel carrier. A selection of these stamps are illustrated here.