Northern Ticketing failure

[WatcherZero]

Heard a brief snippet on the news that Northerns ticketing server fell over at 6:30am and since they cant sell tickets they have been doing free travel all day with the problem not fixed as of midday.

 

[brompton rail]

No mention on Northern Railways forum. Anyway why would this effect on train ticket sales?

 

[WatcherZero]

Despite Northerns official statement seemed ticket offices AND TVM's were down with the problem centred on the Northwest in a Liverpool-Manchester-Blackburn triangle.

Free travel after Northern Rail ticket system failure

Thousands of rail commuters across north-west England travelled for free throughout the morning after Northern Rail's ticketing system broke down.

Travellers at 67 stations on the Manchester to Liverpool line and lines connecting Blackpool, Preston and Manchester were unable to buy tickets.

Passengers were advised to buy return tickets later in the day either on the train or at a ticket machine.

Northern Rail said its server crashed between 0630 BST and 1200 BST.

A Northern Rail spokesman said: "A server failure occured affecting our ticket offices across the region.

"We provide our customers with alternative opportunities to purchase tickets, 25 of the affected stations have a ticket vending machine, and customers also have the opportunity to purchase a ticket on board trains, and we have no reported widespread issues with this service."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-13269913

 

[Busterfridge]

Sign at whitehaven station this morning read 'Due to a computer failure no tickets can be issued, would customers please purchase tickets on the train', this will cause some problems as there are no ticket vending machines in west cumbria and the trains in the morning are as busy as hell and with the stations closer together the guards/ticket collectors will have to work 3 times as hard to deal with the customers, no doudt alot of people will get away with free travel, I will ask my daughter if she did when she gets home later !

 

[175001]

Tried my best to help everyone out, don't think my machine has seen so much work!

 

[185]

Most of my facebook status updates today read......

"WOOOHOOO £80 COMMISSION!!!!!"

Grabbin conductors

 

[- Cal -]

I made a killing today

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

This thread shows how much our contributors have their fingers on the pulse of all things rail-related. My wife told me she had heard about this on the local TV and said that she was glad not to have had to travel to Clitheroe today.

Keep us all updated...and let us know something definate on this thread.as soon as you hear anything.

 

[WestCoast]

My wife told me she had heard about this on the local TV and said that she was glad not to have had to travel to Clitheroe today.

I can't imagine it would have caused too much trouble for the passengers though? Although it would have been difficult for the guards/G4S security to sell so many tickets!

I got a lift instead of the train today, but seen as I normally get on at an unmanned station there wouldn't have been any difference.....

 

[175001]

I never go on the barriers but brought in the 0837 Leeds-Vic and the queue at Vic was huge so I helped out my passengers who I couldn't get to in the front coach.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I can't imagine it would have caused too much trouble for the passengers though? Although it would have been difficult for the guards/G4S security to sell so many tickets!

I got a lift instead of the train today, but seen as I normally get on at an unmanned station there wouldn't have been any difference.....

My wife, god bless her, is very honest and would not like to travel for free as reportedly occurred to many passengers today, according to a later edition of the local TV news. It was also announced on the same programme that Northern had stated the server problem was resolved at mid-day.

 

[WestCoast]

My wife, god bless her, is very honest and would not like to travel for free as reportedly occurred to many passengers today, according to a later edition of the local TV news..

Most commuters love a free ride (presuming they don''t have a season of course - then it's just annoyance!)

Your wife's attitude unfortunately seems to be getting rarer...

 

[strange6]

Most commuters love a free ride (presuming they don''t have a season of course - then it's just annoyance!)

Your wife's attitude unfortunately seems to be getting rarer...

I'm the same. I have a conscience and would never dream of travelling for free unless it was the only choice. I always hunt down the guard for a ticket if I get on and off at small stations and they haven't been around for some reason. And I'm glad people have a lot of commission today; that means you've worked hard and minimised the loss to your employer!