Pricing discrepancy

[Joe Paxton]

I guess this shows why the industry is moving away from dumb TVMs.

Journey planner-based TVMs should in theory prevent people buying tickets that can only be used by a ridiculous route that they don't want to take.

It's just unfortunate that we keep getting reports on here of people being unable to buy the ticket they require from a journey planner based TVM, because it wrongly thinks they won't be able to use it, doesn't know that a train is delayed, thinks they don't have enough time to catch the train when they do, etc.

There are tickets I buy for travel which I sometimes have to battle with journey planners in order to get them to show up - for instance, when engineering works are on, or for trips that involve a break of journey. These are still easily accessible from 'dumb' TVMs, for now at least.

 

[Wallsendmag]

If you can't reach RARS, why on earth would you assume availability for a mandatory-reservations ticket type?!

Surely you fall-back to retailing all the walk-ups with a really prominent message that you cannot reach the reservations system?

Exactly what I said to the supplier

 

[The exile]

Right but why would I be sold a ticket and it not show the restrictions? Not trying to be an arse but I found it incredibly confusing

I suppose that, being pedantic, the restrictions are not on the ticket but on the railcard as it is the use of the railcard discount that makes “route Taunton” invalid.
And yes, I do think it is reasonable to expect someone who has purchased a Network Railcard to be aware that it is not valid everywhere (even if they can’t rattle off all the boundary stations like most enthusiasts could)

 

[Dirty_Mac]

Heck. Most people wouldn't even know that the Network Railcard is valid all the way to Exeter! I would've guessed it only went to somewhere like Salisbury or Yeovil Junction.

Kinda dumb that it goes to Bedwyn but not Westbury tho. (I get why; there's a local service from Newbury to Bedwyn but not further, but still.) Also don't get me started on PBO.

 

[Starmill]

Heck. Most people wouldn't even know that the Network Railcard is valid all the way to Exeter! I would've guessed it only went to somewhere like Salisbury or Yeovil Junction.

Kinda dumb that it goes to Bedwyn but not Westbury tho. (I get why; there's a local service from Newbury to Bedwyn but not further, but still.) Also don't get me started on PBO.

I think it was extended further and further as the years of NSE went by. It was also extended to cover the Weymouth - Yeovil Pen Mill section in order to not have a massive gap. I think NSE-discount tickets were valid on Regional? Although we're likely getting into the weeds of history there. I don't think a discount was ever available on Intercity, but of course that then was changed in the consumer's favour when Gatwick Express took discounted tickets.

 

[sheff1]

I think it was extended further and further as the years of NSE went by. It was also extended to cover the Weymouth - Yeovil Pen Mill section in order to not have a massive gap. I think NSE-discount tickets were valid on Regional? Although we're likely getting into the weeds of history there. I don't think a discount was ever available on Intercity, but of course that then was changed in the consumer's favour when Gatwick Express took discounted tickets.

Network Card discouts were definitely available on InterCity. Used it on IC frequently in the late 80s / early 90s.