Trivia: Stations without ticket purchasing facilities

[tram21]

Hi folks,

Previously a large majority of rural stations in the UK had no TVMs, making purchasing on the train very common. However now you can pay by card, there is no requirement for frequent visits to ticket machines to empty cash, so newer machines have been installed in rural stations, especially Northern and EMR operated stations. There can't be very many stations left with no TVMs- which ones do you know of.

Around Nottingham, which previously had many stations without TVMs until a couple of years ago, the only one I can think of, is Elton & Orston with only 2 trains a day, not exactly making it worth it!

 

[father_jack]

Well I suppose you could make a thread of the "busiest" stations with no purchasing facility ? Someone on here would have the data.

Avonmouth near me would be a candidate ?

 

[Djgr]

Well I suppose you could make a thread of the "busiest" stations with no purchasing facility ? Someone on here would have the data.

Avonmouth near me would be a candidate ?

Many of the Borderlands are a TVM free zone

 

[irp]

Corrour

 

[Parallel]

GWR have quite a few stations with no ticket vending machines. The Weymouth line (including Yeovil Pen Mill which only has a ticket office, no TVM), many stations on the Barnstaple, Exmouth, Gunnislake, Looe, Newquay, Falmouth, St Ives and Severn Beach branches do not have TVMs. I think a few smaller stations on the main lines also don’t have them.

 

[jonnyfan]

There's a few I know of around Manchester.

Flowery Field, Ryder Brow, Ashburys, Middlewood, Humphrey Park, Lostock Gralam and Mobberley

 

[DelW]

The whole of the Heart of Wales line - Llandrindod is the only station with ticket issuing facilities between Llanelli and Craven Arms. That's over two dozen stations.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Blackpool South currently has no ticket office or TVM, does it, but supposedly has somewhere over 110,000 passengers per year?

Don't think there's any ticket purchasing facilities at Hellifield, either, but that doesn't see quite as many passengers (= 29,000?)

 

[cool110]

Blackpool South currently has no ticket office or TVM, does it, but supposedly has somewhere over 110,000 passengers per year?

Isn't that just a case of them deciding that it wasn't worth it after the last one got vandalised?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Isn't that just a case of them deciding that it wasn't worth it after the last one got vandalised?

Quite possibly. Although one particular source does claim that the station (i.e. Blackpool South) does currently have a touch-screen ticket vending machine. Only been to Blackpool North in 2025, so can't confirm what's actually there (or not?!) one way or the other.

 

[sheff1]

GWR have quite a few stations with no ticket vending machines. The Weymouth line (including Yeovil Pen Mill which only has a ticket office, no TVM), many stations on the Barnstaple, Exmouth, Gunnislake, Looe, Newquay, Falmouth, St Ives and Severn Beach branches do not have TVMs. I think a few smaller stations on the main lines also don’t have them.

Devonport certainly and some others on the Plymouth - Penzance line.

 

[Kite159]

..

Devonport certainly and some others on the Plymouth - Penzance line.

I would imagine if a TVM ever got installed at Devonport it will soon get smashed up, similar to the shelters.

 

[tram21]

Blackpool South currently has no ticket office or TVM, does it, but supposedly has somewhere over 110,000 passengers per year?

Wow that's interesting to know!

 

[aron2smith]

Devonport certainly and some others on the Plymouth - Penzance line.

St Budeaux Ferry Road and Victoria Road don't. I don't believe Keyham or Dockyard have ticket machines either.

A number of stations in the Bristol area like Bedminster don't seem to bother either!

 

[plugwash]

Isn't that just a case of them deciding that it wasn't worth it after the last one got vandalised?

https://www.google.com/maps/place/B...try=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTEwMi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw== shows a concrete pad which looks like it may have formerly accomodated a TVM.

That picture says it's from 2021 though, so maybe they've had another go since.

 

[tfw756rider]

Ferryside

 

[hermit]

Ryde Pier Head, Brading and Lake.

 

[zero]

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Blackpool+South/@53.7986545,-3.04886,3a,40y,50.91h,73.73t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sCIHM0ogKEICAgICG6siBCw!2e10!6shttps://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gpms-cs-s/APRy3c_DpjiuaONRig7c89gmfdMuVNUaqq2nJ9ZGNHCGHTwDrOCw95zmiLYseqA1GV94FtXkwkQYw5L1aYHJUJGKs-QlfN3pEIv5b7ZMZm9U2OntyW7x84yIiRsYOcl2z6KH5YxMo59k=w900-h600-k-no-pi16.27267802338372-ya199.62322232066222-ro0-fo100!7i8192!8i4096!4m6!3m5!1s0x487b440ed89475c9:0x74150968558919dc!8m2!3d53.798331!4d-3.0487948!16zL20vMDdianBm?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTEwMi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw== shows a concrete pad which looks like it may have formerly accomodated a TVM.

That picture says it's from 2021 though, so maybe they've had another go since.

I was about to pay for a ticket at the machine at BPS in 2019, when the guard offered to sell it instead, presumably because she wanted the commission.

 

[fandroid]

I know that Aberdyfi station has no ticket facilities, so I would venture a guess that most stations on the coast north from Machynlleth don't have them either.

 

[j2002]

Pencoed?

 

[Highlander1]

Most of the stations on the Far North Line and Kyle Line don't have any ticket facilities but given the limited numbers of passengers at most of these stations that's not surprising.
There's a number of Dundee commuter stations with no facilities including Broughty Ferry, Monifieth, Invergowrie, Balmossie, Barry Links etc. Broughty Ferry is probably the busiest of them with 125k passengers a year.

 

[tfw756rider]

Pencoed?

When the TVM is smashed up, sure. Or maybe I'm getting it mixed up with another station round there.

 

[Jan Mayen]

I can't think of any stations operated by Southern which don't have TVM. I believe even Doleham has one.

 

[Millisle]

The OP very reasonably assumes no TVM equals no ticket facility, but are there any other examples like Lockerbie with a booking office, but no TVM?

 

[The exile]

The OP very reasonably assumes no TVM equals no ticket facility, but are there any other examples like Lockerbie with a booking office, but no TVM?

Most of Merseyrail, IIRC.
As for stations without TVMs- the granddaddy of them all - Heighington - doesn’t IIRC.

 

[GW43125]

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Blackpool+South/@53.7986545,-3.04886,3a,40y,50.91h,73.73t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sCIHM0ogKEICAgICG6siBCw!2e10!6shttps://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gpms-cs-s/APRy3c_DpjiuaONRig7c89gmfdMuVNUaqq2nJ9ZGNHCGHTwDrOCw95zmiLYseqA1GV94FtXkwkQYw5L1aYHJUJGKs-QlfN3pEIv5b7ZMZm9U2OntyW7x84yIiRsYOcl2z6KH5YxMo59k=w900-h600-k-no-pi16.27267802338372-ya199.62322232066222-ro0-fo100!7i8192!8i4096!4m6!3m5!1s0x487b440ed89475c9:0x74150968558919dc!8m2!3d53.798331!4d-3.0487948!16zL20vMDdianBm?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTEwMi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw== shows a concrete pad which looks like it may have formerly accomodated a TVM.

That picture says it's from 2021 though, so maybe they've had another go since.

I was there in 2021 just after the last one got smashed up, it would not surprise me if they've admitted defeat.

 

[davetheguard]

GWR have quite a few stations with no ticket vending machines. The Weymouth line (including Yeovil Pen Mill which only has a ticket office, no TVM), many stations on the Barnstaple, Exmouth, Gunnislake, Looe, Newquay, Falmouth, St Ives and Severn Beach branches do not have TVMs. I think a few smaller stations on the main lines also don’t have them.

Dawlish Warren for a start. Yet in the season it's busy enough to justify a real person in a hut with a ticket machine.

 

[davews]

Longcross. No TVMs but a single Permit to Travel machine on platform 2 (the entrance side).

 

[mmh]

Conwy, Deganwy and stations on the Conwy Valley line. Colwyn Bay and Rhyl have ticket machines which are only available while the booking offices are open.

 

[Belperpete]

I know that Aberdyfi station has no ticket facilities, so I would venture a guess that most stations on the coast north from Machynlleth don't have them either.

Correct. None of the stations north of Machynlleth have TVMs. When TfW gave their guards new ticket machines that only issue paper roll tickets, it meant that it is now not possible to buy a ticket to some destinations either before boarding or from the guard. When I complained to TfW about this, they told me that they would be installing TVMs on all the Cambrian stations in the next couple of years. Seven years later, and nothing seems to have happened.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Nov 2025 ==

The OP very reasonably assumes no TVM equals no ticket facility, but are there any other examples like Lockerbie with a booking office, but no TVM?

Machynlleth has a booking office but no TVMs.

Does Barmouth also count, as I understand that the tourist information office on the platform sells tickets, as there is no TVM.