Annual (bus and) rail passes
 

Hi guys. I Was talking to someone at connolly earlier and they were saying that some of the current annual tickets could not handle the new validation machines and would wear out. So they have applications at the front desk to get replacement tickets. I also heard a rumour that the new ones are like smart cards and you would just have to flash them. Does anyone know he there is any truth to this.

The tickets have no problem lasting a year of turnstile use once they are stored in a wallet

The new turnstiles have smartcard readers I'm told annual tickets would be the first to switch

Cheers mark. I have had no problems using the pass over the past 3 years. I find it more of a convinience to show the guy at the ticket and he would open the gate. Am glad they are bringing the smart cards. Better to flash than validate. The only reason i found this out was because of the sign at connolly saying "annual ticket holder? Exchange your ticket before automatic validation arrives"

Mine is almost a year old (must remember to put in application for new one). I tend to keep it in a transparent window in my wallet and only take it out when necessary for feeding a turnstile. The magnetic swipe still works fine, but there are a few places where the ink has started to wear off the front, despite it probably being physically handled less than once a week.

My last one made it from January to November before getting chewed to bits by a faulty bus reader. Luckily I was in town later on so managed to make the brilliant opening hours of DB central.

My new one was rejected by a number of turnstiles in the first week of this year. Though it was something I was doing, but I could put it in the same way round at both turnstiles in Killester, one would take it, one wouldn't.

Thought it was fixed now, but got rejected yesterday morning by one of the new turnstiles in Blackrock. Works fine 95% of the times. Which is more than the trains do. :(