Paddington New Ticket Machines

[antharro]

Went through Paddington station last week to get to Bournemouth. Usually I would buy the ticket from the ticket machines. Couldn't do this last week as their new huge touchscreen machines wouldn't accept Bournemouth as a destination. Went into the ticket office instead - they explained that the new machines would only sell tickets to GwR locations, which Bournemouth isn't, and therefore I would need to visit the ticket office instead. They also advised that I should buy a Reading ticket and ask the guard on the train to Reading to change it for a ticket to Bournemouth.

While I'm all for keeping ticket offices open and staff employed, this does seem like a backwards step. I usually get an off peak saver return with a Network railcard; it seems to be extra complicated to have to get the guard to sort this out on the train - and more importantly, I can't think of a single time that I've seen the guard on a fast train to Reading, meaning I'd need to then go to the Reading ticket office - more inconvenience!

Can anyone cast any light on why this has been done?

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Went through Paddington station last week to get to Bournemouth. Usually I would buy the ticket from the ticket machines. Couldn't do this last week as their new huge touchscreen machines wouldn't accept Bournemouth as a destination. Went into the ticket office instead - they explained that the new machines would only sell tickets to GwR locations, which Bournemouth isn't, and therefore I would need to visit the ticket office instead. They also advised that I should buy a Reading ticket and ask the guard on the train to Reading to change it for a ticket to Bournemouth.

While I'm all for keeping ticket offices open and staff employed, this does seem like a backwards step. I usually get an off peak saver return with a Network railcard; it seems to be extra complicated to have to get the guard to sort this out on the train - and more importantly, I can't think of a single time that I've seen the guard on a fast train to Reading, meaning I'd need to then go to the Reading ticket office - more inconvenience!

Can anyone cast any light on why this has been done?

As usual, this is the nonsense the rail industry calls "progress". A ticket machine that only sells tickets to GWR destinations? Why not, go ahead and inconvenience those customers who are unfortunate enough to have to use multiple TOCs. You couldn't make it up if you tried...

Of course there will be those - including GWR - who will defend it as simplifying the customer experience. But as your post shows it massively inconveniences a number of passengers, and entirely needlessly so - the GWR network is so large that it's never going to get to Heathrow/Gatwick Express levels of simplicity in terms of having just a couple of different kinds of tickets on offer. So removing non-GWR destinations isn't simplifying the matter by any discernable amount.

I rather more suspect it's either a cost saving measure (as they only need to implement their own products, not other TOCs'), as well as perhaps an exercise in trying to prevent people buying tickets to "circumvent" the extortionate Anytime prices GWR charges for travel at "peak" times.

 

[Clip]

On the one hand I can kind of see why they would do this to speed up the use of their TVMs - I mean why would the majority of people go to bournemouth via paddington anyway with a change on route than just use waterloo? - but it does seem an arse about way of trying to do whats right but not at least having a keyboard function to pick any destination

But as your post shows it massively inconveniences a number of passengers

You need to quantify your statement im afraid with facts and figures to back up what you are saying or else its just hyperbole.

 

[Deafdoggie]

Just buy online and collect from the machine

 

[InterCity:125]

You know what would simplify this ‘TOCs only selling to their own destinations’ problem:

Nationalised rail!

 

[WelshBluebird]

Isn't Paddington supposed to be an NR run station?
I get that GWR provide many of the staff and essentially run much of the station on behalf of NR (similar to Bristol Temple Meads too), but ultimately wasn't the point of having some major stations run by NR to avoid stuff like this?

 

[Clip]

Isn't Paddington supposed to be an NR run station?
I get that GWR provide many of the staff and essentially run much of the station on behalf of NR (similar to Bristol Temple Meads too), but ultimately wasn't the point of having some major stations run by NR to avoid stuff like this?

They do run the station but they have nothing to do with issuing tickets at any station they manage

 

[221129]

Isn't Paddington supposed to be an NR run station?
I get that GWR provide many of the staff and essentially run much of the station on behalf of NR (similar to Bristol Temple Meads too), but ultimately wasn't the point of having some major stations run by NR to avoid stuff like this?

No because Network Rail don't operate any ticketing facilities.

 

[cactustwirly]

Went through Paddington station last week to get to Bournemouth. Usually I would buy the ticket from the ticket machines. Couldn't do this last week as their new huge touchscreen machines wouldn't accept Bournemouth as a destination. Went into the ticket office instead - they explained that the new machines would only sell tickets to GwR locations, which Bournemouth isn't, and therefore I would need to visit the ticket office instead. They also advised that I should buy a Reading ticket and ask the guard on the train to Reading to change it for a ticket to Bournemouth.

While I'm all for keeping ticket offices open and staff employed, this does seem like a backwards step. I usually get an off peak saver return with a Network railcard; it seems to be extra complicated to have to get the guard to sort this out on the train - and more importantly, I can't think of a single time that I've seen the guard on a fast train to Reading, meaning I'd need to then go to the Reading ticket office - more inconvenience!

Can anyone cast any light on why this has been done?

I'm surprised about this as I'm sure the same ones at Reading sell tickets to all destinations!
Are you sure you weren't looking under the popular destinations bit?
You definitely went to the A-Z destinations list?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm near certain that LNR's S&B machines do all destinations from MKC but only WCML destinations from Euston, and it's similar on Chiltern. The reason for this is to stop people buying tickets to places not served from that station then getting cross when they can't get there or can't use the Tube to get there.

I suspect it was just a poor selection of the destinations.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Ooh sounds great how much easier would my life be if we did that. Seriously though that's hopeless.

 

[A Challenge]

I'm near certain that LNR's S&B machines do all destinations from MKC but only WCML destinations from Euston, and it's similar on Chiltern. The reason for this is to stop people buying tickets to places not served from that station then getting cross when they can't get there or can't use the Tube to get there.

I suspect it was just a poor selection of the destinations.

People may assume the ticket is valid to Waterloo and out from there then, so I'm guessing that's why.

 

[cjohnson]

I used the big screen ticket machines at Paddington this morning, and all destinations were on offer (including the ability to buy tickets starting from a different station or boundary zones).

 

[JaJaWa]

Surely the issue is no ticket from Paddington to Bournemouth exists.

 

[swt_passenger]

Surely the issue is no ticket from Paddington to Bournemouth exists.

Bournemouth to London Terminals (which includes Paddington) is available so the reverse should be available. It might make sense to not sell tickets from Paddington to destinations that cannot be reached without ever crossing London first.

But as said above they may be worried about people buying there and assuming they can go via Tube and Waterloo.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Bournemouth to London Terminals (which includes Paddington) is available so the reverse should be available. It might make sense to not sell tickets from Paddington to destinations that cannot be reached without ever crossing London first.

But as said above they may be worried about people buying there and assuming they can go via Tube and Waterloo.

All of the through London-Bournemouth walk-up fares are routed "Any Permitted", so going via Reading (from Paddington) is an entirely legitimate mapped route.

Again, this smacks of trying to oversimplify things with the completely wrong approach.

 

[Bungle965]

As GWR are the only ones with ticket machines at the station it seems dubious as to whether they would be allowed to get away with only selling tickets to their own destinations, possibly even in breech of the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement.
Sam

 

[A Challenge]

Are London Terminals to Basingstoke and routes through there valid Waterloo - Staines - Reading - Basingstoke.

I've also noticed that going from Paddington itself there are two routes with one change - Bakerloo and SWR from Waterloo and GWR then XC via Reading, and so that isn't really a silly route.

 

[swt_passenger]

I've also noticed that going from Paddington itself there are two routes with one change - Bakerloo and SWR from Waterloo and GWR then XC via Reading, and so that isn't really a silly route.

The point is that Paddington Underground (Bakerloo) is not a valid origin for the London Terminals ticket. If you are at Paddington and want to depart from Waterloo you need either a different inclusive fare, or to pay the LU leg separately.

There’s no doubt whatsoever that Paddington to Reading to SWR destinations via Basingstoke is valid; that isn’t really what the discussion is about.

 

[robbeech]

I believe that this may have been a temporary thing. Quite often machines will only allow purchase to the tocs destinations if there is a network problem. Perhaps a technical issue at the time was causing this as all destinations appear to be accessible now.

 

[antharro]

I'm surprised about this as I'm sure the same ones at Reading sell tickets to all destinations!
Are you sure you weren't looking under the popular destinations bit?
You definitely went to the A-Z destinations list?

Yup. Even the staff in the ticket office confirmed that what I had experienced was expected behaviour for these machines.

I believe that this may have been a temporary thing. Quite often machines will only allow purchase to the tocs destinations if there is a network problem. Perhaps a technical issue at the time was causing this as all destinations appear to be accessible now.

That does sound possible. I'll check next time I'm going through there (probably be a while; I usually go out of Waterloo).

 

[Gerald Fiennes]

Further issue with PAD last Sunday: I had a ticket to Didcot from the machine but had to go to the window to get from Didcot to Swindon. They insisted, and when i say insisted I mean insisted, that I show my ticket to Didcot before doing this. So, ever the conformist, I did. But surely the TSA 'rules' say that I must, on demand, be sold a ticket from anywhere to anywhere on the NRN and don't have to show any kind of permission to do so, ie. a ticket to 'anywhere # 1' first? Are we going backwards to the dark days of First Group's initial term as franchisee?
[I'm still suffering from guilt from not helping the guy in front of me at PAD more than 10 years who wanted to go to Stroud for a day, was duly quoted some massive sum, wanted to know if there was any cheaper way of doing it and got very worked up when told 'no'. I then stepped up after him and bought three CDRs for a trip to Swindon, which knock about 1/3rd off the cost which of course the ticket seller was not obliged to advise the purchaser ahead of.]

 

[district]

As GWR are the only ones with ticket machines at the station it seems dubious as to whether they would be allowed to get away with only selling tickets to their own destinations, possibly even in breech of the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement.
Sam

Someone will correct be but I believe that TVMs aren't obliged to be impartial

 

[island]

That is precisely what I came here to write. The booking office needs to be impartial (or at least more than half of its windows do). TVMs do not.

 

[BluePenguin]

Surely the issue is no ticket from Paddington to Bournemouth exists.

Yes there is - the ANY PERMITTED fare which allows you to go to Reading with GWR and then get a CrossCountry train to Bournemouth from there.

 

[mattdickinson]

The machines now issue tickets to geographically reasonable stations.

Destinations that require a tube journey are available by selecting "Tickets from other stations" and then London Terminals.