Yellow Card Readers Looking Things On Stations.....

[mayennaise]

Our local BR station has got these things that stand on grey poles at about waist height. What are they ???

[rockyracoon]

They are for Oyster Cards.

[mayennaise]

i didn't realise that oyster cards were valid down here in darkest Hampshire!

[rockyracoon]

Oh, maybe not then. Our local BR station had Oyster readers installed last year and they look pretty much as you've described. I'm just on the outskirts of London though.

[Buenchico]

http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/integrated%20bus-rail%20smart%20ticketing%20initiative%20launched.aspx

[gingejbee]

....there are still British Rail stations??

[Buenchico]

>>>there are still British Rail stations??

They're the ones that are still waiting for the arrival of trains that are running 17 years late ;-)

[mayennaise]

Ah right - these things have been on our station for about three or four years - they have got three buttons on them: red yellow and green - are they those smart readers then ?

[Buenchico]

>>>are they those smart readers then ?

Probably but, since I've not seem them, I can't be sure.

It occurs to me that they could be CD/RA indicator controls for staff use. When dispatching driver-only trains, platform staff normally insert and turn a key to bring up lights showing 'CD' (= 'close doors') to the driver and then insert and turn the same key (in a different lock) to bring up 'RA' (= 'right away'. It's possible that key-operated controls are being replaced by ones with touchcard authentication. So a member of the dispatch team could simply touch his card onto the pad and then press the yellow button for 'CD', followed by the green one for 'RA', with the red button there to set the signal back to 'Danger' in an emergency. However that's just a stab in the dark; I've seen quite a few variations on the key-operated system but I've not yet come across one that uses a touchcard.

[Buenchico]

PS:

I'm naturally nosy. I'd just ask the platform staff what those devices are for ;-)

[mayennaise]

I'd happily ask the platform staff - if I ever saw one!!!!! Even the ticket office is only open for an hour each morning - the rest of the time you have to use one of those machines!!!