"New ticketing system" at Middlesbrough station

[Sf9k]

Just went through Middlesbrough this morning, and I saw a few notices mentioning a new ticketing system. I presume that this is purely to make life easier for staff instead of those recent GPS ticketing trials?

 

[Kite159]

I would imagine it's more related to the equipment being used in the ticket office getting changed rather than anything public facing (unless TPE are going to install those awful journey planner type TVMs which increases transaction time when someone wants to buy a day return to Redcar Central.

 

[bearhugger]

Just went through Middlesbrough this morning, and I saw a few notices mentioning a new ticketing system. I presume that this is purely to make life easier for staff instead of those recent GPS ticketing trials?

That particular poster is at the ticket office, when I saw it, i took it to mean the ticket office would be getting a new ticketing system and that's why they are asking for patience whilst the staff get used to the new system.
Last week when I went to Redcar the member of staff at the other window was having some sort of issue with cancelling a particular part of the transaction she was on and was asking the guy at my window what to do, they both seemed a little unsure as to what to do.

 

[ainsworth74]

Just went through Middlesbrough this morning, and I saw a few notices mentioning a new ticketing system. I presume that this is purely to make life easier for staff instead of those recent GPS ticketing trials?

That signs been there for, I think, two or three months at this point. As @Kite159 alluded to I believe it's simply new equipment being rolled out to the ticket office rather than anything more interesting.

 

[bearhugger]

I would imagine it's more related to the equipment being used in the ticket office getting changed rather than anything public facing (unless TPE are going to install those awful journey planner type TVMs which increases transaction time when someone wants to buy a day return to Redcar Central.

Could be to do with the new TVM's, although there is already a brand new machine on platform 2.

 

[GhostManDN91]

I noticed the other day that there was this sign up at Manchester Airport before the ticket barriers going down to the platform too.

 

[Fokx]

Transpennine Express have recently switched from Fujitsu and Star Mobile to The Ticket Keeper (TTK) for all frontline, revenue, and station staff, that's what the signs are referring to.

Simple ticket sales will be fairly swift but the processes for dealing with more complicated tickets that may be seen less frequently such as excess fares and supplements has changed completely, and does take a little while to get used to.

 

[jonnyfan]

Fujitsu have pulled out of railway ticketing market in the UK, so any TOC that uses Star Desktop and Mobile are now in the process of moving to new suppliers. I know Northern are another TOC that will need to be moving away from Star/Fujitsu in the coming months into next year.

 

[Riverside Redz]

I noticed the other day that there was this sign up at Manchester Airport before the ticket barriers going down to the platform too.

Have they installed ticket barriers finally ?

 

[johntea]

This poster was on a digital display at Leeds station too the other day

I was curious actually - now that TPE guards seem to be back to scanning tickets they seem to use a tiny silent scanner device so unlike Northern and the like you can't anticipate a ticket inspection based on hearing 'beep beep beep beep beep'

 

[Fokx]

I was curious actually - now that TPE guards seem to be back to scanning tickets they seem to use a tiny silent scanner device so unlike Northern and the like you can't anticipate a ticket inspection based on hearing 'beep beep beep beep beep'

The TPE scanning dispute ended last month with payments being for scanning from the beginning of this week.

Regarding the scanner, It's only silent if the settings on the mobile device have been set to silent. The Opticon scanners do actually have various sounds attributed to ticket types and additional checks that might be required

 

[_toommm_]

Have they installed ticket barriers finally ?

They've had barriers at Manchester Airport for as long as I can remember.

 

[David Goddard]

Hope they will still issue CCSTs, deplore the awful toilet roll tickets

 

[yorksrob]

Hope they will still issue CCSTs, deplore the awful toilet roll tickets

I was just about to post the same thing !

 

[Riverside Redz]

They've had barriers at Manchester Airport for as long as I can remember.

Apologies, I was under the impression you were referring to Middlesbrough , beggars belief why they don’t

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Sep 2025 ==

My mistake

 

[ainsworth74]

Apologies, I was under the impression you were referring to Middlesbrough , beggars belief why they don’t

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Sep 2025 ==

My mistake

I'm glad they haven't. It would doubtlessly be done on the cheap using probably three or four gates to access the platforms meaning huge queues when a train arrives to exit the station.

 

[Fokx]

Hope they will still issue CCSTs, deplore the awful toilet roll tickets

The default option will be the new standard 'toilet roll' tickets which the DfT want all operators to move towards.

CCST is available for tickets that are not available in this format such as journeys that require Merseyrail and London Underground (but CCST can be requested in person)

 

[Riverside Redz]

I'm glad they haven't. It would doubtlessly be done on the cheap using probably three or four gates to access the platforms meaning huge queues when a train arrives to exit the station.

Most likely , wonder if they are in the plans when they finally start platform 3

 

[Steddenm]

I was at Thornaby-on-Tees the other week and bought a ticket from the machine there and it was printed on plain white till receipt type paper. The machine was weird as well, not like the usual Northern TVMs - was a lot smaller and had two different printer outputs, but still asked me to choose a specific train to travel on, but was only going to Darlington so chose the TPE-only advance that it offered for a train which was at most 5 minutes away. Also noticed it debited as "Northern Railway, Leeds" on my bank statement.

 

[deecee16]

Fujitsu have pulled out of railway ticketing market in the UK, so any TOC that uses Star Desktop and Mobile are now in the process of moving to new suppliers. I know Northern are another TOC that will need to be moving away from Star/Fujitsu in the coming months into next year.

Great Western have replaced all of their Fujitsu Star machines with Avocet.

 

[yorksrob]

I note that London Victoria has succumbed to the tide of cursed bog roll as well.

 

[Kite159]

I note that London Victoria has succumbed to the tide of cursed bog roll as well.

Ticket offices which sell only to the older style tickets will soon be a thing of the past, they will still have the ability for those tickets which require cross London or TfL acceptance.

 

[CyrusWuff]

I note that London Victoria has succumbed to the tide of cursed bog roll as well.

Chiltern switched over at their Ticket Offices this week too. CCST is still available from their TVMs for now though.

 

[yorksrob]

Ticket offices which sell only to the older style tickets will soon be a thing of the past, they will still have the ability for those tickets which require cross London or TfL acceptance.

Chiltern switched over at their Ticket Offices this week too. CCST is still available from their TVMs for now though.

To quote Sir Elton:

"It's a sad, sad situation. And it's getting more and more absurd".

 

[800001]

I was at Thornaby-on-Tees the other week and bought a ticket from the machine there and it was printed on plain white till receipt type paper. The machine was weird as well, not like the usual Northern TVMs - was a lot smaller and had two different printer outputs, but still asked me to choose a specific train to travel on, but was only going to Darlington so chose the TPE-only advance that it offered for a train which was at most 5 minutes away. Also noticed it debited as "Northern Railway, Leeds" on my bank statement.

What TPE service runs from Thornaby to Darlington? Didn't think they were routed that were any more?

Do you mean 'Northern Advance'?

 

[Steddenm]

What TPE service runs from Thornaby to Darlington? Didn't think they were routed that were any more?

Do you mean 'Northern Advance'?

Sorry just checked the ticket and it is Northern, not TPE

 

[harz99]

I was at Thornaby-on-Tees the other week and bought a ticket from the machine there and it was printed on plain white till receipt type paper. The machine was weird as well, not like the usual Northern TVMs - was a lot smaller and had two different printer outputs, but still asked me to choose a specific train to travel on, but was only going to Darlington so chose the TPE-only advance that it offered for a train which was at most 5 minutes away. Also noticed it debited as "Northern Railway, Leeds" on my bank statement.

Iirc Thornaby is run by TPE not Northern, which may account for the difference in TVM style.

 

[ainsworth74]

Iirc Thornaby is run by TPE not Northern, which may account for the difference in TVM style.

It absolutely does. TPE TVMs are very different to Northern and Thornaby is a TPE station.