TVM varies Ticket Stock

[lyesbkz]

I can't help but notice - and firstly I thought that it was a coincidence - but looking at many tickets issued to me by the Newcastle TVMs, it's clear that Travel tickets and compulsory seat reservations seem to print on very slightly different stock.

The print on the travel tickets is much darker and better defined, and these tickets (on my most recent collection) have 6MAG printed on the bottom right on the reverse, whilst the seat reservations and collection receipt have significantly lighter print and are marked 2MAG.

Does anybody know what the point in using ticket stock (which appears visibly the same, both orange) for the tickets and the reservations is?

(incidentally an EC catering voucher, which was printed at the staffed desk, was marked 4MAG)

 

[transportphoto]

Are you sure they are all issued at the same time? Fro the same machine?

(each variation)

Seems odd!

 

[lyesbkz]

Are you sure they are all issued at the same time? Fro the same machine?

Absolutely! I'll post photos if/when I can, but I've had a Single with 1 seat reservation, and a separate Single with 2 seat reservations issued from the same machine today, and it's no coincidence!

 

[umontu]

I too have noticed this, the font really stands out and seems to draw more attention to it.

Strangely I seem to get different backs on ticket, from Kirkham I had the plus bus logo on a ticket today and from Preston's Northern Rail self service machine I had tickets without.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Hmm.
I have quite a large number of tickets printed recently by Newcastle's large array of TVMs, printed at various times through the last few weeks, and I've just had a quick look through them for you. (although I probably should be doing something more useful!)
Not all were printed by the same machine and not all were printed at the same time.

They are printed on 2 batches of stock (referenced by the number you've identified on the bottom right of the rear).
However, there is absolutely no correspondence between the stock batch number and the functionality of the permission to the end user. Whether they are a Ticket, Seat Reservation, Cycle Reservaltion, Collection Receipt, they are all mixed arbitrarily.

 

[lyesbkz]

However, there is absolutely no correspondence between the stock batch number and the functionality of the permission to the end user.

Then I guess these last few times I've just ended up coincidentally getting them like that, which is probably what made me notice the difference at all (i.e. I would not have noticed the different stock in the past with all the coupons just being mixed)!

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Then I guess these last few times I've just ended up coincidentally getting them like that . . .

That would be my guess too.
But it will be interesting to keep on looking, patterns may emerge - though I doubt it, as the hoppers, when they're re-filled with blank stock, may be re-filled in response to a variety of factors. These may produce unintended patterns of correspondence.

 

[barrykas]

As others have stated, the "2MAG", etc refer to the batch number produced by the new supplier (Magnadata, who've taken over the contract from BemroseBooth).

As for different stock apparently having different qualities, print "darkness" can be adjusted through the menus, and varies between 1 and 13, where 1 is the lightest. Most printers tend to be set to 13.

Cheers,

Barry

 

[lyesbkz]

As for different stock apparently having different qualities, print "darkness" can be adjusted through the menus, and varies between 1 and 13, where 1 is the lightest. Most printers tend to be set to 13.

This leaves two possibilities: either the TVM is set to print seat reservations at a lower "darkness" than tickets (which seems unlikely), or the quality of the ticket stock is affecting how well the print comes out (as with thermal receipt printers and the quality of paper used). I'd guess the latter - perhaps DaveNewcastle could tell us if there's any correlation noticed between the stock code on the back and the quality of the print (ignoring what type of coupon it is)?

 

[Mojo]

Are there not multiple printers within TVMs? Whenever I collect tickets they come out in twos.

Unless it's like the printers we use at work which print and then chuck out pages in twos.

 

[WillPS]

Are there not multiple printers within TVMs? Whenever I collect tickets they come out in twos.

Unless it's like the printers we use at work which print and then chuck out pages in twos.

Some have one (the Scheidt & Bachmann Ticket XPress used by Northern, for example), some have two (Shere FASTticket used by FTPE). There's a noticable difference in speed of delivery between the two aswell!

Another difference is that FASTticket will vend tickets from a credit card without a booking reference (as long as there's only one booking awaiting collection on that card).

It really bugged me when EMT replaced all Midland Mainline's FASTticket machines with Ticket XPress, but I guess the increased quantity makes up for it.

 

[Scotty]

(Magnadata, who've taken over the contract from BemroseBooth)

Didn't know that! Local company here

 

[142094]

Could it not be that the TVM has more than one hopper for the blank ticket stock, and therefore has been filled up with different varaiants of tickets when required? Incidentally I picked up some tickets at Newcastle yesterday and all 3 were on the 2MAG type.