Print size on (physical) Advance Tickets

[Wallsendmag]

Hasn't been for donkey's years now. I think GNER was the last holdout? Well, Eurostar I think might but only for their own services and only in limited circumstances as I've had them issue me with that style of ticket when I was using tickets bought through DB (where you had to go through a manual gate).

I miss those ATB tickets but don't miss moving the printer around.

 

[43066]

Though considering that CCST is a set size using less of the available space is a waste itself as you're not saving paper!

I suppose it is in the sense that you’re no longer having to print a separate reservation coupon.

Presumably it has to be a standard size, hence needing to be that small in order to accommodate combinations of long station names.

 

[AngusH]

Presumably this comes from a combination of wanting to use less paper, and the expectation that e tickets will increasingly be used in the future.

Definitely agree. CCST are a format on the way out...

 

[Benjwri]

I’ve just seen another GWR issued CCST with reservation on the main ticket, which was significantly larger, with the text being the normal size seen on other tickets. This does suggest the one at the top of the thread is a mistake. I forgot to get a photo of it unfortunately.

 

[ainsworth74]

I miss those ATB tickets but don't miss moving the printer around.

Ha! I'm sure, they must have been bulky things!

I suppose it is in the sense that you’re no longer having to print a separate reservation coupon.

Presumably it has to be a standard size, hence needing to be that small in order to accommodate combinations of long station names.

Sure but that change was made a decade ago (and welcome!), this suddenly tiny font is a new a thing.

 

[Adam Williams]

Avanti TVMs have, within the last two weeks or so, begun printing tickets in tiny print as shown here. I suspect it's just a bug - if so, how hasn't it been fixed yet, and if not, what on earth are they playing at?

I think it's been going on slightly longer than this.

I printed a ticket at Rugby in late March and it was similarly unreadable

 

[43066]

Sure but that change was made a decade ago (and welcome!), this suddenly tiny font is a new a thing.

In which case agreed. I had gathered from the OP that the small font was a result of the two being combined.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Ha! I'm sure, they must have been bulky things!

Veering off-topic here, but if memory serves didn't GNER (as was) have desktop ATB printers and Swecoin CCST ones, whereas MML had large freestanding ATB printers and Russet CCST printers?

 

[Adam Williams]

It's a bug which will be rectified shortly, further tests are planned for later today so hopefully this will be back to normal size sooner rather than later

 

[Haywain]

didn't GNER (as was) have desktop ATB printers and Swecoin CCST ones

Swecoin printers, yes, but the ATB printers were enormous things that sat under the desk. Apart from the mechanism they needed to be big to provide space for the ticket stock.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Veering off-topic here, but if memory serves didn't GNER (as was) have desktop ATB printers and Swecoin CCST ones, whereas MML had large freestanding ATB printers and Russet CCST printers?

Swecoin , Russet and the far superior Newbury were all used by GNER. The first two at least in conjunction with the ATBs

 

[kkong]

Presumably this comes from a combination of wanting to use less paper, and the expectation that e tickets will increasingly be used in the future.

The details of what they were trying to achieve with this new CCST printing specification are published here.

Including this, which is amusing considering the example ticket posted by the OP.

 

[Mikey C]

Avanti TVMs have, within the last two weeks or so, begun printing tickets in tiny print as shown here. I suspect it's just a bug - if so, how hasn't it been fixed yet, and if not, what on earth are they playing at?

I just remembered that I collected these tickets at Euston rather than Paddington, so that could be it!

 

[P Binnersley]

I picked up a super-off peak return from Coventry (Avanti) last week and the printing was equally small (no seat reservations).

 

[alistairlees]

I just remembered that I collected these tickets at Euston rather than Paddington, so that could be it!

Indeed. It is an error on Avanti ticket machines. Basically a poor implementation of the latest standards update.

 

[Joe Paxton]

I picked up a super-off peak return from Coventry (Avanti) last week and the printing was equally small (no seat reservations).

Indeed. It is an error on Avanti ticket machines. Basically a poor implementation of the latest standards update.

I am left just a little bewildered as to how this wasn't picked up before it was rolled out to their TVMs. (I do appreciate software is complicated etc, but still!)

 

[SCDR_WMR]

Indeed. It is an error on Avanti ticket machines. Basically a poor implementation of the latest standards update.

That'll be why it's been almost exclusively Crewe, Stafford, Rugby and Euston tickets that have been in tiny font

 

[Watershed]

I am left just a little bewildered as to how this wasn't picked up before it was rolled out to their TVMs. (I do appreciate software is complicated etc, but still!)

Clearly they didn't test it properly, or thought it wasn't a sufficiently important bug to stop the software release being rolled out. Still not a professional look - then again, little about the new Avanti TVMs is (e.g. they downsized the number of them at each station far too aggressively, to the point that major stations with a million passengers a year only have 2 TVMs!).

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Apr 2023 ==

EDIT: It looks like Avanti have now fixed the bug. Only took them 3 weeks or so...