electronic ticket sales/credit cards

[Guest metralink]

When will Metra think of its customers who need to buy tickets from unmanned stations? I hate it when having to stand in line behind all these suburban commuters buying 1 way tickets back to the burbs because they can't buy one from a ticket machine at their boarding station.

Also when is Metra going to get like the rest of the commuter agencies and take credit cards? GO Toronto takes them the services on the west coast due, perhaps the unions are stopping this?

[trainman8119]

When will Metra think of its customers who need to buy tickets from unmanned stations? I hate it when having to stand in line behind all these suburban commuters buying 1 way tickets back to the burbs because they can't buy one from a ticket machine at their boarding station.

You probably will never see it. Simply put it costs money and they are about as tight with money

as one can get. Also, just because they may be a ticket machine at a station, doesn't mean it is

going to be operative. The vending machines are out of service about as much as they are in

service (especially at 55-56-57th streets and a good amount of the time at Randolph St). Go

through any time and you will see a fair amount of machines inoperable...or operating, but

won't take 10 or 20 dollar bills. Also, as long as there is the possiblility to charge an

extra 2 bucks on the train, they will do it. So, continue to stand in line and get your tickets,

or we will zing you.

Also when is Metra going to get like the rest of the commuter agencies and take credit cards? GO Toronto takes them the services on the west coast due, perhaps the unions are stopping this?

Never, never, never. As long as the credit card companies charge for transactions (like 2-3%) it will

never happen. Metra will not part with any part of their profits (except, of course, for the 3 top execs

who continue to get outrageous increases). The unions have nothing to do with this....strictly the

boys at 547...it is probably how the top dogs keep their 3% + annual raises intact.

[Busjack]

I agree with both observations, especially the Metra Electric proving that cash ticket vending machines (and the prior barrier system) don't work. The need to audit tickets to enforce distance-based fares seems to preclude a totally automated system, but I don't see why a portable smart card reader couldn't be used by the conductors to sell tickets.

Trainman: A couple of questions based on my experience. When I ask for an E return ticket at CUS, why does the ticket agent ask for the destination (then I tell them to Northbrook)? Would it make any difference if I told them Lisle?

Also, in walking around downtown, could I buy an E ticket from a machine at Randolph Street, and then use it on the MilwD-N?

[trainman8119]

Trainman: A couple of questions based on my experience. When I ask for an E return ticket at CUS, why does the ticket agent ask for the destination (then I tell them to Northbrook)? Would it make any difference if I told them Lisle?

It would make a difference only in where the money gets distributed. The contract carriers keep

the money for the tickets they sell. For example, any tickets the UP sells at Ogilvie or any of their

outlying stations, they keep the revenue. The same for the BN. In order for the BN to collect

on sales at CUS, a computer system was installed to track sales on that line. So, if you were to say

Lisle, the BN would get the 3.90. If you say Northbrook, the money goes to Metra. So if you were

annoyed at Metra during any one week and wanted to stiff them on their money, you could ask

for a ticket to Lisle, which would be zone E, and use it to Northbrook (or any other E zone) and

the BN would get the money for the sale. If you were to say Arlington Heights, either they would

send you to Ogilvie (which some do) or simply put a Metra based E zone station for tracking purposes.

In any event you will have the same E zone ticket.

Also, in walking around downtown, could I buy an E ticket from a machine at Randolph Street, and then use it on the MilwD-N?

Yes, you could do that. Some of the trainmen might look at it a little bit confused, but it is a valid

ticket and it is required that it be honored on any Metra line within the applicable zones.

[Busjack]

Here's another example where Metra isn't maximizing fares. I knew a guy who lived in Naperville and used to work in Deerfield, and used a monthly ticket. In effect, he got the Milw-N trips for free, and I assume that if monthlies are treated the same way, BNSF got the credit for it.

[trainman8119]

Here's another example where Metra isn't maximizing fares. I knew a guy who lived in Naperville and used to work in Deerfield, and used a monthly ticket. In effect, he got the Milw-N trips for free, and I assume that if monthlies are treated the same way, BNSF got the credit for it.

If he bought his ticket in Naperville, the BN got the bucks. If he bought it in Deerfield, Metra got it.

If he bought it at CUS, I guess it would depend on what time of day it was and where he told the

agent where he was going.

[Guest metralink]

Trainman: A couple of questions based on my experience. When I ask for an E return ticket at CUS, why does the ticket agent ask for the destination (then I tell them to Northbrook)? Would it make any difference if I told them Lisle?

Also, in walking around downtown, could I buy an E ticket from a machine at Randolph Street, and then use it on the MilwD-N?

When they ask me at Union which station I'm going to, I always give them some other one in the same zone, hey I want a zone ticket not a station ticket.