01 August 2021 •
Page last updated: 06/08/21
Over the coming months the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) will be upgrading the Smartcard retailing system across the rail industry. To do this, they’ll need to take the Smart ticket system offline a small number of times. Sometimes this will affect all c2c stations, sometimes only stations in the Travelcard and Extended Oyster validity areas. We’ll continue to keep you updated on the outages to help you plan your journey. Sorry if this causes you problems at any stage, please see our FAQs below if you need assistance.
Notice of upcoming outages
- 7 August between 7am and 1pm
- August 21 & 28 (tbc)
- September 18 (tbc)
FAQs about buying tickets during an outage
What happens if I buy a ticket onto a Smartcard during an outage?
The outages will usually take place between 7am – 8pm unless otherwise stated. You won’t be able to load the product onto your Smartcard until after the outage. If you have purchased a ticket onto a Smartcard during the outage and need to travel, you should buy a new paper ticket and request a refund for the Smartcard ticket. You can contact our Customer Relations team to request a refund here.
What happens if I want to buy a ticket at the ticket office?
During the time of the update our ticket office staff will be issuing all tickets onto paper at affected stations.
What happens if I buy a ticket at the ticket machine?
If you attempt to buy a ticket onto a Smartcard at the ticket machine you will be unable to complete the transaction, and an error message will appear saying you cannot complete the transaction. Please buy your ticket as a paper ticket this time instead.
What if I’ve bought my ticket on the website during the outage?
Please do not buy unless you’re travelling after the outage. You will not be able to collect any purchases or use these tickets to travel, even if you complete your online transaction. If you have bought a ticket during the outage you should buy a new paper ticket and request a refund for the Smartcard ticket. You can contact our Customer Relations team to request a refund here.
What if I’ve bought my ticket on the c2c train travel app during the outage?
Please do not buy unless you’re travelling after the outage. You will not be able to collect any purchases or use these tickets to travel, even if you complete your online transaction. If you have bought a ticket during the outage you should buy a new paper ticket and request a refund for the Smartcard ticket. You can contact our Customer Relations team to request a refund here.
What if I try to use the in-app loading feature?
If you attempt to use the in-app loading feature during the purchase process, you will see a message saying your ticket cannot be loaded at the moment. You may be able to complete the purchase, as the app will tell you that you can try again later, but loading the product won’t be successful until after the outage.
When you present the Smartcard to the back of their phone, your Smartcard will only be read, nothing will load until after the outage.
