Northern Station Improvements & New Ticket Machines

[LDECRexile]

Liverpool South Parkway now has at east one new ticket machine in Northern colours. I used it the other day to collect tickets ordered on t'internet and it worked first time.

 

[Geeves]

Victoria now has 4 TVMs. Also behind the two on the Greggs side will be an ABCD type destination screen similar to the set up at Piccadilly, just flush against the walls.

 

[Bungle965]

Victoria now has 4 TVMs. Also behind the two on the Greggs side will be an ABCD type destination screen similar to the set up at Piccadilly, just flush against the walls.

Of note the ones on the Gregg's side are card only while the ones that directly replaced the old S&B ones are both cash and card.
Sam

 

[skyhigh]

New ticket machines were being installed in Leeds by the south entrance barrier line when I left work this morning at 1am - looked like a mixture of cash and card/card only machines.

 

[Bungle965]

Picture of the new TVM's that have been installed at Victoria.
Sam

 

[30907]

Apologies if this has already been reported, but Blackburn has had the treatment. Barriers (so you cant actually get to the Ticket Office) and a new Wall (which doesn't look like a ticket machine, nor is there any signposting that I could see - might be wrong though).
Monday 8am - 2 out of 4 screens out of order.
Using them for the first time it took nearly 10 minutes for me to buy two tickets to Manchester Airport - partly due to unfamiliarity no doubt.
But I noticed two flaws:
1. it defaults to the cheapest fare (Off Peak single, not valid for an hour after my visit), and the options I found confusing - "continue" means "buy something else").
2. More seriously, it won't allow you to book multiple tickets where more than one railcard is needed - in our case, 2x senior. Surely it is not unheard of for older or younger (or....) people to travel together? Result, double the number of transactions!
3. Oh, and the card reader tells you to press Enter when the keypad has V...

 

[johntea]

New ticket machines were being installed in Leeds by the south entrance barrier line when I left work this morning at 1am - looked like a mixture of cash and card/card only machines.

Interestingly they've also installed one to replace the existing ticket collection only machine by Upper Crust near the barriers, it would be nice if that eventually allowed an extra option other than queuing at the ticket window but I somehow doubt it!

 

[xotGD]

New ticket machines were being installed in Leeds by the south entrance barrier line when I left work this morning at 1am - looked like a mixture of cash and card/card only machines.

The middle machine was out of service this morning. However, I successfully collected a piece from the one on the right. For some reason, there were also 2 members of staff selling tickets from portable machines right next to the new facilities.

 

[Intercity 225]

Apologies if this has already been reported, but Blackburn has had the treatment. Barriers (so you cant actually get to the Ticket Office)

If true that is absolutely ridiculous, especially considering the machines don't offer the full range of tickets available. Surely this can't be permanent?

 

[Bungle965]

If true that is absolutely ridiculous, especially considering the machines don't offer the full range of tickets available. Surely this can't be permanent?

It's the same at Rochdale, the barrier staff will let you through if you mention that you need to buy your ticket at the ticket office for whatever reason.
Sam

 

[Bungle965]

The two additional TVM's are now operation at Victoria, while there has been a couple of screens on wheels which are dotted around the main concourse area showing the usual notices. A bit strange as they are so small in comparison to something like the ones at Manchester Piccadilly, I will get a picture tomorrow.
Sam

 

[johntea]

Interestingly they've also installed one to replace the existing ticket collection only machine by Upper Crust near the barriers, it would be nice if that eventually allowed an extra option other than queuing at the ticket window but I somehow doubt it!

So this machine is up and running now, and you can indeed buy tickets - but only from the origin of Leeds!

 

[skyhigh]

So this machine is up and running now, and you can indeed buy tickets - but only from the origin of Leeds!

I was looking at that yesterday and thinking it was a bit odd! The other two collection-only machines outside Starbucks and Sainsbury's have also been replaced with machines that can sell tickets.

 

[janb]

If true that is absolutely ridiculous, especially considering the machines don't offer the full range of tickets available. Surely this can't be permanent?

For now at least. There was supposed to be a Blackburn Station masterplan being produced in which Community Rail Lancashire were clearly keen on moving the ticket office to the subway but that masterplan doesn't seem to have materialised.
http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.u...erate_Blackburn___s_historic_railway_station/
https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/corporate/community/case-study-2

 

[xotGD]

A hole was being dug in the platform at Knottingley this afternoon. Looks like a ticket machine will be arriving soon.

 

[johntea]

Might as well book in the service to replace the screen on that one already!

 

[chiltern trev]

Here are the new ticket machines being installed. The first is at Eccleston Park.

This is the new ticket machine at Haltwhistle, Newcastle bound platform. The screen face due north so directly away from the sun. Time of day taken - about 10.00. Weather = sunny. As you can see a lot of glare and reflections making it hard and slow to use.

So I have been on Northern's website and logged a station fault:

1. TVM glare and reflections - not easy to use - not fit for purpose.
2. The hone screen black font text is not easy to read on the purple background.

I asked whether these TVMs have been properly checked with a visually impaired consultation/review.

The station fault form asks what you would like to see:

1. Fit an anti glare plastic coating or similar.
2. Change black font of purple to white font on purple.
3. Fit a shelter. This TVM (and its predecessor) are exposed to the winter elements (wind and rain) so I would have thought as Northern are improving the stations, then a shelter for up to 6 people would be appropriate so you do not get soaked in winter buying a ticket.

 

[chiltern trev]

A ticket machine has appeared at Bamber Bridge station on platform 1. Not yet in service and I think it's a card only machine? How will cash customers cope? It's also in the open, perhaps a shelter will be added?
View attachment 39353 View attachment 39354

Interesting to see you can use the TVM as a mirror!

 

[DanNCL]

One of the new machines has been installed on platforms 1/4 at Sunderland. Makes buying a ticket for a local service after alighting from a GC service much easier as you no longer have to go up to the concourse

 

[erk]

Flixton now has penalty fares notices mentioning promises to pay. I decided to see what one looks like (I didn't actually need one as I have a concessionary pass). So I selected a destination and ticket type on the TVM. It then told me the price with the message Insert cash or credit card.
I couldn't find anywhere to insert cash.
On the return journey the machine at Gatley gave the same message.
So how does one get a promise to pay?

 

[skifans]

Flixton now has penalty fares notices mentioning promises to pay. I decided to see what one looks like (I didn't actually need one as I have a concessionary pass). So I selected a destination and ticket type on the TVM. It then told me the price with the message Insert cash or credit card.
I couldn't find anywhere to insert cash.
On the return journey the machine at Gatley gave the same message.
So how does one get a promise to pay?

My limited understanding is that you select the pay with cash button. A promise to pay is then immediately printed, that's the whole point. If a ticket machine accepts cash payment then a normal ticket will be issued once the correct amount is inserted. Otherwise a promise to pay is printed and you pay on the train.

 

[Codville]

Poulton-Le-Fylde has two of those large screen ticket machines fitted, must've been in the last couple of months and its a good step up from the last machine, it was awfully slow and took a great deal of force to type anything in.

 

[Bantamzen]

Flixton now has penalty fares notices mentioning promises to pay. I decided to see what one looks like (I didn't actually need one as I have a concessionary pass). So I selected a destination and ticket type on the TVM. It then told me the price with the message Insert cash or credit card.
I couldn't find anywhere to insert cash.
On the return journey the machine at Gatley gave the same message.
So how does one get a promise to pay?

My limited understanding is that you select the pay with cash button. A promise to pay is then immediately printed, that's the whole point. If a ticket machine accepts cash payment then a normal ticket will be issued once the correct amount is inserted. Otherwise a promise to pay is printed and you pay on the train.

Once the stations go live as Penalty Fare zones an additional cash option should be available at the normal payment screen, assuming the relevant software update is successfully applied overnight. Northern did start off with a P2P one press option, but miscreants quickly discovered it could be used to empty TVMs or their ticket stock and strewn around stations, hence the more convoluted route. Additionally TVMs that don't have cash options (and some do) should also display a Penalty Fare notice on a distinct yellow background to further remind passengers about the need to get a valid ticket or P2P prior to staring their journey.

 

[erk]

My limited understanding is that you select the pay with cash button. A promise to pay is then immediately printed, that's the whole point. If a ticket machine accepts cash payment then a normal ticket will be issued once the correct amount is inserted. Otherwise a promise to pay is printed and you pay on the train.

That was my understanding too. The problem is that there isn't a "pay with cash button".

The only part of the screen that I could find that responds to a touch is the Cancel button. The machine has a card reader and devices to interact with other unspecified cards, but nowhere to insert cash.

 

[IanXC]

That was my understanding too. The problem is that there isn't a "pay with cash button".
View attachment 46516View attachment 46517
The only part of the screen that I could find that responds to a touch is the Cancel button. The machine has a card reader and devices to interact with other unspecified cards, but nowhere to insert cash.

See Bantamzen's response above.

 

[chiltern trev]

That was my understanding too. The problem is that there isn't a "pay with cash button".
View attachment 46516View attachment 46517
The only part of the screen that I could find that responds to a touch is the Cancel button. The machine has a card reader and devices to interact with other unspecified cards, but nowhere to insert cash.

Which station is in the photos?

 

[themiller]

Four ticket machines have been installed in Barrow-in-Furness station beside the ticket office.

 

[YorkshireLad]

There's a hole in the shelter on Platform 2 at Kiveton Bridge which 2 ducts for cabling already in place.

Will be interesting to see if they have machines on both platforms.

 

[Lytham Local]

Looks like we are getting ticket machine(s) in Lytham as well.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The older, much maligned ticket machine at Batley had a 100% success rate for my monthly MCard renewals. The fancy big new one has worked just once in 5 months. Last month it seemed to think my card was faulty, but no such issue when I took it to Dewsbury bus station instead.

Progress...