c2c Smartcard update – Friday 23 February
23 February 2024 •
Following the recent problems that some c2c customers have experienced when attempting to load certain ticket types (Anytime/Off-Peak Returns and Day Travelcards) to their Smartcards, we can confirm that work to identify and resolve the issue has now been successfully completed. The required fixes have now been deployed and our full range of Smartcard tickets are once again available for customers to purchase from our website and app.
Customers who purchased a ticket over the last couple of weeks and were unable to use/load to their Smartcard, or those who repurchased an alternative ticket, will be eligible for a full refund.
Please contact c2c Customer Relations on contact@c2crail.co.uk with a copy of your additional ticket/receipt and the Smartcard ticket booking confirmation email, and they will be able to assist you.
Upcoming planned Smartcard maintenance – Thursday 29 February
We fully accept the performance and availability of our Smartcard (and associated products) over the past few weeks has been far from acceptable, and not at the high levels we set ourselves. We would again like to apologise for any inconvenience these recent issues have caused our customers.
As we continue to enhance and improve our digital offering to customers, on Thursday 29 February (between approximately 07:00 and 19:00) we will be migrating our Smartcard systems to a new and enhanced platform.
The Rail Delivery Group said: The upgrade of c2c’s smartcard back office is part of a wider rail industry programme to provide a more reliable and efficient platform for smart ticketing. The new system will enable more smart ticketing journeys to be supported across the National Rail network and be future-proofed for new product developments.”
During the infrastructure migration, customers will not be able to purchase and load Smart tickets. We therefore advise customers wishing to travel with a Smartcard on Thursday 29 February that they purchase their tickets (for travel on this day) by Wednesday evening. Alternatively, customers may choose to purchase e-tickets from our website or app, or paper tickets from our station offices or machines.