Avanti TVMs selling local rovers

[AY1975]

As well as LNER and Northern ticket vending machines selling most rover and ranger tickets, I have discovered that Avanti West Coast TVMs now sell the rovers and rangers that are local to the station in question.

For example the TVMs at Lancaster sell the various Cumbrian rovers such as the Cumbria Day Ranger and the Lakes Day Ranger, and the ones at Manchester Piccadilly sell the various Greater Manchester tickets, the Cheshire Day Ranger and, rather bizarrely, the West Midlands Day Ranger.

But I was at Birmingham New Street recently and had a look to see which rovers and rangers were available from the Avanti TVMs there, but when I tapped on the "Plan your route" button where it asks you to specify the number of adults and the number of children, it just took me back to the previous page so I couldn't get it to offer me anything. I presume this is a temporary glitch in the system, or maybe I did something wrong but I can't for the life of me think what I might have been doing wrong.

Has anyone else here bought, or tried to buy, any rovers or rangers from an Avanti TVM?

 

[Wallsendmag]

It's part of a RDG scheme coming to all TVMs, I wouldn't expect a rover to show up in route planning though

 

[AY1975]

It's part of a RDG scheme coming to all TVMs

What, across all train operators (or at least those that have local rover and ranger tickets that are valid in their area - a few, such as Southern and Chiltern, do not (apart from the Southern Daysave in the former case))? Any idea how soon it will be rolled out across all TOCs?

I wouldn't expect a rover to show up in route planning though

No, but as I recall on the TVMs at Lancaster and Manchester Piccadilly you have to select the "Local rover tickets" option on the screen that greets you in the first instance, and it then asks you to select the number of adults and number of children, and when you've done this you have to tap on the "Plan your route" button. You then get a list of available rover and ranger tickets. But when I tapped on "Plan your route" on the TVMs at New Street it just took me back to the previous screen as I mentioned in entry #1 above.

 

[Wallsendmag]

All TVM suppliers as far as I'm aware

 

[Haywain]

a few, such as Southern and Chiltern, do not

Chiltern run a significant distance into the West Midlands where local ranger tickets are available.

 

[Wallsendmag]

It isn't just local rangers anyway

 

[Kite159]

Avanti have been doing it for a fair while, at least the ones in Crewe with the Cheshire Ranger.

Useful for when the ticket office is closed or has a large queue.