Avantix replacement (previously: Arriva ditch Avantix)

[Bungle965]

Guard on my northern service today explained that he could not sell any tickets on the train due to a charging fault on the machines as a result they are not charging. Consequence of this is the vast majority of Manchester Victoria conductors don't have ticket machines.
Sam

 

[M60lad]

Guessing this will be fun a barriered station when a load of passengers get off who haven't got tickets and have to explain what's happened to the gateline staff unless they will already know.

 

[island]

Knowing Northern they will issue them all Penalty Fakes for £80.

 

[philthetube]

Knowing Northern they will issue them all Penalty Fakes for £80.

Many of these probably justified as tickets could have been bought before boarding.

 

[crehld]

Is the new system really awkward when selling railcard discounted tickets by any chance? I've had my cousin come to stay and we've been out for a couple of walks, using the train to get back. I have a Dales Railcard, my cousin does not. Nevertheless when purchasing tickets we've been informed, by two separate guards, that the machine can't handle one person with a railcard and one person without, so we've both been issued the railcard discounted price, whereas in fact only one of us should have been. (I'm not complaining about the additional discount duly authorized by on board staff of course )

 

[craigybagel]

Is the new system really awkward when selling railcard discounted tickets by any chance? I've had my cousin come to stay and we've been out for a couple of walks, using the train to get back. I have a Dales Railcard, my cousin does not. Nevertheless when purchasing tickets we've been informed, by two separate guards, that the machine can't handle one person with a railcard and one person without, so we've both been issued the railcard discounted price, whereas in fact only one of us should have been. (I'm not complaining about the additional discount duly authorized by on board staff of course )

It can be done - it's a bit awkward but if anything it's slightly easier than it was on Avantix, where it could be a right pain to do....

 

[Bungle965]

It can be done - it's a bit awkward but if anything it's slightly easier than it was on Avantix, where it could be a right pain to do....

Could you have not add one ticket with the railcard discount to the basket on Avantix? Then do another without the railcard, or am I missing something? (Not the first time!)
Sam

 

[craigybagel]

Could you have not add one ticket with the railcard discount to the basket on Avantix? Then do another without the railcard, or am I missing something? (Not the first time!)
Sam

No, you're entirely correct - it was just to do that required a surprisingly large amount of buttons; the basket is so much easier to use on Star, so long as you know what you're doing.

 

[wingsoveryorks]

Is the new system really awkward when selling railcard discounted tickets by any chance? I've had my cousin come to stay and we've been out for a couple of walks, using the train to get back. I have a Dales Railcard, my cousin does not. Nevertheless when purchasing tickets we've been informed, by two separate guards, that the machine can't handle one person with a railcard and one person without, so we've both been issued the railcard discounted price, whereas in fact only one of us should have been. (I'm not complaining about the additional discount duly authorized by on board staff of course )

What train were you on? He's talking rubbish. You just do them separate and put them in the basket. In fact you don't need to do that. It is quicker to edit what is in the basket already

 

[ANorthernGuard]

you just add them to the basket. Its very simple, In fact railcards on a whole are easier as its a simple search facility to find them.

 

[sarahj]

I had my training on one this week. Seemed ok, but due to lack of wi-fi at the training point we could not do credit cards. And at about 3 hours, seemed a bit rushed...anyway:
Wed was strike day, so did not use it then
Thur. Could not do the first log in and since I was out of time, took out an advantix.
Fri: Had a bit more time, and got logged it. Off I went on the my first train. First ticket, £25 squid, credit card. Ok, here goes, CC machine decides to update and configure. and that was that, punter left train. Sale lost.
Next cash sale was ok, and then even managed a contactless CC sale.

View. Some bits faster, some slower. Senior railcard to far down the list. My issue is the carrying bit. We were supposed to get smaller tablets, but now have full size ones, and we have no strap for it, so where does it go. I tried hanging it off my belt, but fiddly having to unlock it each time. There is the option of the 'sam browne' belt, but it's designed for the little tablet, not our large one, and deff not for female staff. Even the small things as well. The printer hangs so the tickets print up rather than down, so get caught in the folds of your coat, and does it have to keep asking me if i know the conditions attached to the ticket I'm trying to sell. It's lunch time, I think I can sell a CDR.

I guess I will get used to it.

 

[kevjs]

I had my training on one this week. Seemed ok, but due to lack of wi-fi at the training point we could not do credit cards.

My former housemate is loving these machines - as they fail so often he keeps getting free train rides... :roll: Obviously not considered the fact they won't work in tunnels.

 

[craigybagel]

I had my training on one this week. Seemed ok, but due to lack of wi-fi at the training point we could not do credit cards. And at about 3 hours, seemed a bit rushed...anyway:
Wed was strike day, so did not use it then
Thur. Could not do the first log in and since I was out of time, took out an advantix.
Fri: Had a bit more time, and got logged it. Off I went on the my first train. First ticket, £25 squid, credit card. Ok, here goes, CC machine decides to update and configure. and that was that, punter left train. Sale lost.
Next cash sale was ok, and then even managed a contactless CC sale.

View. Some bits faster, some slower. Senior railcard to far down the list. My issue is the carrying bit. We were supposed to get smaller tablets, but now have full size ones, and we have no strap for it, so where does it go. I tried hanging it off my belt, but fiddly having to unlock it each time. There is the option of the 'sam browne' belt, but it's designed for the little tablet, not our large one, and deff not for female staff. Even the small things as well. The printer hangs so the tickets print up rather than down, so get caught in the folds of your coat, and does it have to keep asking me if i know the conditions attached to the ticket I'm trying to sell. It's lunch time, I think I can sell a CDR.

I guess I will get used to it.

Can't speak for the hardware issues (although Arriva group are using it with Samsung galaxys inside battery sleds so are fairly small) but on the software side that thing about the asking you the conditions should be easy to remove. We've had a lot of changes done to ours to get rid of some of the more frustrating issues.

 

[Steddenm]

Do any of the TOCs still use Avantix? I only ask because I've been on a few services recently by GWR and XC that the guard has said that they can't do tickets because of a fault with the batteries on the "c*** Atos systems". Thanks.

 

[Parallel]

Do any of the TOCs still use Avantix? I only ask because I've been on a few services recently by GWR and XC that the guard has said that they can't do tickets because of a fault with the batteries on the "c*** Atos systems". Thanks.

GWR are still using Avantix. Well, at least in the Bristol and Westbury areas.

 

[HLE]

London Midland.

 

[LowLevel]

EMT have Envoy at Norwich and Boston, as well as the Leicester RPOs and a few machines at Derby. London, Nottingham, Derby, Lincoln and Sheffield staff are still on Avantix.

Both systems playing up - Envoy because of technical gremlins, Avantix hardware is literally falling to pieces - batteries at the end of their life and then some both in printers and PDAs, issues with docking stations, chip and pin machines broken either due to software failure or because bits of plastic casing are breaking off inside and dropping into the slot so you can't get cards to fit in, printer cases smashed to pieces after years of being bounced off seats etc so the doors won't shut on them etc.

The whole situation is, as booked, pretty much a farce nationwide as far as I can tell with perhaps the odd exception.

 

[Steddenm]

Is there any final dates that Advantix is being removed from TOCs? Thought end of December was it?

 

[Hadders]

The guard on a TPE service I was on yesterday had an Avantix machine.

 

[CC 72100]

GWR + TPE are; if any TOCs are still using Avantix (no 'd' in Avantix! ) then they'll be doing so on an extended licence/support contract.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I have bought 2 tickets off TPE guards lately, both on the Scotland service and both on Avantics.

 

[sheff1]

I witnessed one of these new machines in action yesterday.

As is normal in these parts, people buy on board even when joining at a staffed station. Guard enters the carriage after we had passed Meadowhall. First punter wants a single to Doncaster, after much faffing and button pressing a ticket which must have been a foot long was finally handed over well after Consibrough (i.e at least 10 mins later). After this, the guard had obviously had enough and disappeared. I would be very surprised if there were no other passengers in my or the next coach who did not require a ticket. I would be even more surprised of any of those passengers made their way to the booking office when they got to Doncaster.

Farcical !

 

[Geeves]

Northern are currently working with Fujitsu on a different design for the phone housing as has been said, lots of them are not charging. The end of March now for an update on the smaller ticket size we are told. At Manchester Victoria out of around 70 sets I would say 15 to 20 are currently demics. Good going!

 

[Solent&Wessex]

Is there any final dates that Advantix is being removed from TOCs? Thought end of December was it?

Most recent info from was that TPE would transfer over from Avantix from May / June onwards, but only subject to Fujitsu fixing a few things first.

 

[Haywain]

As time goes the VTEC decision to not go with either Worldline or Fujitsu looks better and better! They had a trouble free changeover, have guards who are happy and kit that works.

 

[sarahj]

We have been told that the advantix will be gone by the end of March.

As for the new machines. It's the printer that gets me down. It seems to be a cheaply made bit of rubbish. Last week i was working an OBS shift and a train from Vic to Ore. I started checking tickets. Nice £25 ticket to lewes. And it would not print, nothing I would do would make it change it's mind. I had to refund the CC of the punter (which was strange as the advantix would not take the money unless a ticket had been printed) with nothing printing and could only show the punter that my screen showed nothing had been sold and my balance was zero. After that I gave up checking (whats the point) and walked through the train making sure everyone was in the correct coach for the split. Later at Ore sidings when I had some time, went to see if i could fix it, and it worked no problem.
Then the printer takes less tickets, so each block does not have the warning red lines, so you run out. and it;s just so random.
Other issues. Logging in, logging out, pad pin, then password to restart shift, having to remember to re-set after you have sold a discounted ticket, wishing on quick issue the little picture of the tickets said the destinations, if only as a eg ECR, so you dont sell the ticket and find out it's decided to change things around(LAC-FSG became FSG to PLD, previous ticket had been LAC to PLD, thought it was cheap).

Plus, I'm running out of hands...

It could be of course after 9 years I was used to the Advantix, but all i know at the mo is it's taking me longer to sell tickets, esp when it's off route for the train. And as for the summer and I'm not wearing my coat with many pockets, where I'm gonna put stuff. My mobile fitted into the pocket of the carry case for the advantix CC machine (as did the Oyster/Key reader). Now I've got a CC reader, my phone, the tablet all to carry. (and dont say the big strap, it's crap)

 

[gimmea50anyday]

TPE staff are still using Avantix, although other operators on the route have switched over (Northern, VTEC) so both systems are in the cash offices. TPE avantix machines are still pretty reliable although pinpad batteries are beginning to falter we have at least the benefit of spares coming from TOCs that have stopped using them.

TPE training still hasnt yet started. The training and rollout keeps being put back due to various technical issues.

 

[HH]

If it's anything like Sportis, there will be an absolute panic to dump it at some point - the cost of support stays the same, but there are fewer and fewer TOCs to share that cost...

 

[Skimble19]

Great Northern are still using it on most gatelines for now, although the Passenger Hosts (ex-RPIs) are now using the new kit and RCOs are now being trained on it.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I assume GTR are using Classic card ticket stock?