System Updates

Minor updates and code changes occur every day. Only significant or noteworthy updates are shown here. Updates shown with a gold background are (or were at the time) only available to Advanced HOPS members.

You are NOT currently subscribed to HOPS compliance system updates. More info

You are NOT currently subscribed to HOPS retail system updates. More info

Recent HOPS Updates Recent Retail System Updates Future Updates Search Results

Time Date	System Updates
Update 1332 8 November 2025	ID Cards in 2026 ID CARDS - UK RAILWAYS (Information for railways outside the UK will follow.) Hello, We are now ready to share options for ID cards for UK railways for next year. I'm sorry this is quite late in the year - we have spent so much of the year with other developments in various parts of HOPS that we have only got on to this now. Apologies for the long email, but I hope this answers all questions. Please note there is ACTION REQUIRED, to let us know your views on options 1, 2 and 3. If you don't let us know that you are likely to use one or more of the options then we may not continue to develop/maintain that option! PROBLEM: The cost of producing ID Cards, and particularly the cost of posting them, has risen considerably, such that the system has run at a loss for the last year. We cannot continue to operate the current system at the current costs. It was our intention to introduce changes to the system for 2025, but we did not achieve that, but our consultation leading up to that in 2024 can be viewed here. OPTIONS FOR RAILWAYS FOR 2026: * OPTION 1. Continue using the current, annual stationery, with increased cost. The cost of cards will increase from the current 45p a card to 50p a card. The cost of postage (including envelopes, printing, etc) where cards are sent directly to users will increase from 61p to 91p. The total cost of a card and delivery will therefore rise from the current 1.06 to 1.51. For context, the price of a card has never been changed (45p) since the system was introduced in 2018, seven years ago. The price of postage was 55p in 2018, rising to 61p in 2023. This has massively lagged behind the rising cost of postage, even with the bulk discounts that HOPS obtains. Where cards are sent in batches to railways, we can no longer afford to dispatch those batches for free. As they all are different weights and volumes it isn't possible to set a price for those, but they will be charged at the appropriate postage rate. * OPTION 2. Longer Lasting Cards, with LOWER average cost! As previously discussed (albeit nearly two years ago), an option for a longer-last card, which has been requested by several railways in the past, will be available. Initially the longer-lasting cards will last for three years, but it is envisaged that the next round of cards after that would be valid for ten years. The cards are made from a recycled plastic material that will last for the lifespan of the card. The price for a three-year card will be 2.98 (posted to the user). This is 20p LOWER than the cost of three one-year cards in the current pricing regime. Price is 2.07 per card each when batched to the railway (+ postage). While the CARD would be valid for that long, the user's actual expiry date would be kept in HOPS AND STILL RENEWED EACH YEAR following the same process as at present, eg Department Confirmation and the user confirming their details are up to date (both optional). The manager would progress to issue the user with another year, but nothing would be sent through the post - their expiry date would simply be updated in HOPS. Where cards are used to obtain discounts (eg shops, cafes, and reciprocal railways), the card can be scanned (same as current) to determine its validity. It would a matter for each individual railways to determine how strict they want to be when accepting ID Cards for discounts, and whether they accept cards at face value or scan to confirm. (Note this is no different to, at present, where a user could leave volunteering and have their card cancelled part-way through the year. It just that the tail period of apparent validity would be longer.) ID cards can be scanned using any QR code reader, it doesn't require a specific app. iPhones, for example, can scan QR codes with just their normal camera. For railways that use HOPS POS, we will provide an integrated mechanism for scanning and verifying HOPS cards in POS asap. It is envisaged that if the initial three-year cards work ok then the next round could be ten-year cards (subject to consultation), which would further reduce costs. * OPTION 3. Raildays App The option to display cards in the Raildays app is unchanged and will still be available. The annual price of this will increase from 19p to 21p to reflect the rising cost of maintaining the system. Individual users can choose whether they would like a physical card or a Raildays card. At present the default is Physical and users opt-in to a Raildays card. A new option will be provided for railways to set the default to either Physical or Raildays and users opt-over to the other option. --- To facilitate option 2, and make a distinction between the expiry date of the physical card and the expiry date of the user's validity to work on the railway, some of the terminology in HOPS will be changed. The user's validity to work on the railway will be named 'Authority to Work', and this is what will be renewed each year. The physical card, which might have an expiry date of much later, will be named a 'HOPS Card'. This change of nomenclature will be apparent regardless of which of the above methods is used by each railway/user. The actual processes and functionality of issuing or renewing a card will be unchanged. Railways will be able to decide on a per-person basis which type of card to issue. This was highlighted by a few railways last year that, to avoid the potentially wasted cost of a three-year card to every new volunteer, some of whom are never seen again after their first turn, railways may wish to issue an old-style card for the first year, and then a three-year one at renewal once a volunteer has shown that they are likely to stay for three years to make the card issue worthwhile. Another example raised was seasonal staff, whose contract will end in three months so will definitely be leaving. There will be an option at the Generate stage to pick which type of card to issue. To provide for (most) railways where the same person does both the Generation and Approval of cards, a new 'Generate & Approve' button will be provided if the user has both permissions. --- Future prices. Prices will need to keep better pace with costs. The card prices will be set as above for 2026. We will advise prices for future years, if they are to change, in the autumn of the previous year. The postage prices will need to keep pace with postage costs, so will rise by the same amount as the Royal Mail price does during the year. We will advise when RM prices are published so that everyone knows what the new prices are. --- ACTIONS REQUIRED: Please could railways that make use of the ID card system reply to let us know their views on options 1, 2, and 3. (Thank you to railways that gave their views in 2024, if you could please confirm if your feedback is the same or has changed). Note that if we don't receive any interest at all in one or more of the options above then we may not continue to develop / maintain that option! If anyone has any queries regarding the above please let me know. Thank you Danny Scroggins

Time Date

System Updates

Update 1332
8 November 2025

ID Cards in 2026

ID CARDS - UK RAILWAYS

(Information for railways outside the UK will follow.)

Hello,

We are now ready to share options for ID cards for UK railways for next year.

I'm sorry this is quite late in the year - we have spent so much of the year with other developments in various parts of HOPS that we have only got on to this now.

Apologies for the long email, but I hope this answers all questions. Please note there is ACTION REQUIRED, to let us know your views on options 1, 2 and 3. If you don't let us know that you are likely to use one or more of the options then we may not continue to develop/maintain that option!

PROBLEM:

The cost of producing ID Cards, and particularly the cost of posting them, has risen considerably, such that the system has run at a loss for the last year.

We cannot continue to operate the current system at the current costs.

It was our intention to introduce changes to the system for 2025, but we did not achieve that, but our consultation leading up to that in 2024 can be viewed here.

OPTIONS FOR RAILWAYS FOR 2026:

* OPTION 1. Continue using the current, annual stationery, with increased cost.

The cost of cards will increase from the current 45p a card to 50p a card.

The cost of postage (including envelopes, printing, etc) where cards are sent directly to users will increase from 61p to 91p. The total cost of a card and delivery will therefore rise from the current 1.06 to 1.51.

For context, the price of a card has never been changed (45p) since the system was introduced in 2018, seven years ago. The price of postage was 55p in 2018, rising to 61p in 2023. This has massively lagged behind the rising cost of postage, even with the bulk discounts that HOPS obtains.

Where cards are sent in batches to railways, we can no longer afford to dispatch those batches for free. As they all are different weights and volumes it isn't possible to set a price for those, but they will be charged at the appropriate postage rate.

* OPTION 2. Longer Lasting Cards, with LOWER average cost!

As previously discussed (albeit nearly two years ago), an option for a longer-last card, which has been requested by several railways in the past, will be available.

Initially the longer-lasting cards will last for three years, but it is envisaged that the next round of cards after that would be valid for ten years. The cards are made from a recycled plastic material that will last for the lifespan of the card.

The price for a three-year card will be 2.98 (posted to the user). This is 20p LOWER than the cost of three one-year cards in the current pricing regime.

Price is 2.07 per card each when batched to the railway (+ postage).

While the CARD would be valid for that long, the user's actual expiry date would be kept in HOPS AND STILL RENEWED EACH YEAR following the same process as at present, eg Department Confirmation and the user confirming their details are up to date (both optional). The manager would progress to issue the user with another year, but nothing would be sent through the post - their expiry date would simply be updated in HOPS.

Where cards are used to obtain discounts (eg shops, cafes, and reciprocal railways), the card can be scanned (same as current) to determine its validity. It would a matter for each individual railways to determine how strict they want to be when accepting ID Cards for discounts, and whether they accept cards at face value or scan to confirm. (Note this is no different to, at present, where a user could leave volunteering and have their card cancelled part-way through the year. It just that the tail period of apparent validity would be longer.)

ID cards can be scanned using any QR code reader, it doesn't require a specific app. iPhones, for example, can scan QR codes with just their normal camera.

For railways that use HOPS POS, we will provide an integrated mechanism for scanning and verifying HOPS cards in POS asap.

It is envisaged that if the initial three-year cards work ok then the next round could be ten-year cards (subject to consultation), which would further reduce costs.

* OPTION 3. Raildays App

The option to display cards in the Raildays app is unchanged and will still be available. The annual price of this will increase from 19p to 21p to reflect the rising cost of maintaining the system.

Individual users can choose whether they would like a physical card or a Raildays card.

At present the default is Physical and users opt-in to a Raildays card. A new option will be provided for railways to set the default to either Physical or Raildays and users opt-over to the other option.

---

To facilitate option 2, and make a distinction between the expiry date of the physical card and the expiry date of the user's validity to work on the railway, some of the terminology in HOPS will be changed. The user's validity to work on the railway will be named 'Authority to Work', and this is what will be renewed each year. The physical card, which might have an expiry date of much later, will be named a 'HOPS Card'.

This change of nomenclature will be apparent regardless of which of the above methods is used by each railway/user. The actual processes and functionality of issuing or renewing a card will be unchanged.

Railways will be able to decide on a per-person basis which type of card to issue. This was highlighted by a few railways last year that, to avoid the potentially wasted cost of a three-year card to every new volunteer, some of whom are never seen again after their first turn, railways may wish to issue an old-style card for the first year, and then a three-year one at renewal once a volunteer has shown that they are likely to stay for three years to make the card issue worthwhile. Another example raised was seasonal staff, whose contract will end in three months so will definitely be leaving.

There will be an option at the Generate stage to pick which type of card to issue.

To provide for (most) railways where the same person does both the Generation and Approval of cards, a new 'Generate & Approve' button will be provided if the user has both permissions.

---

Future prices.

Prices will need to keep better pace with costs.

The card prices will be set as above for 2026. We will advise prices for future years, if they are to change, in the autumn of the previous year.

The postage prices will need to keep pace with postage costs, so will rise by the same amount as the Royal Mail price does during the year. We will advise when RM prices are published so that everyone knows what the new prices are.

---

ACTIONS REQUIRED:

Please could railways that make use of the ID card system reply to let us know their views on options 1, 2, and 3. (Thank you to railways that gave their views in 2024, if you could please confirm if your feedback is the same or has changed).

Note that if we don't receive any interest at all in one or more of the options above then we may not continue to develop / maintain that option!

If anyone has any queries regarding the above please let me know.

Thank you

Danny Scroggins

Generated at 13:58:33 17/11/2025