So just for clarity how long before departure should intending passengers arrive at the station?
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Railcard not accepted when buying ticket at destination
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So just for clarity how long before departure should intending passengers arrive at the station?
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R
RailUK Forums
Technically they were correct - it's your responsibility to turn up in time to pay for your ticket before travel. However, you might have an defence if the machine actually locked up on you (rather than just being slow) as errors are normally logged.
There is no clearly stated limit, if the delay is unacceptable to the customer they need to complain, ask the toc for a time limit for future situations and escalate as necessary if unhappy with the response. In some tocs, If a station is manned, at times a decision will be made to allow customers to travel & advise the appropriate staff that permission has been given to travel.
In other words how long is a peice of string. A decision will be made? By whom?
There's no clearly stated limit because what's reasonable for a small rural station with two trains per hour isn't going to be suitable for a busy city centre terminus at rush hour. It's all about what is reasonable on the day.
Northern TVMs cycle in and out of service on a not infrequent basis. It would surely be for Northern to prove the machine was working.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Theoretically there is no specific limit. However, most stations have a "we aim to serve you within X" statement somewhere and that gives a decent guideline.
If there is a long queue for tickets then the station is effectively closed except for people already holding tickets. So if immediate travel is important then you either need to buy in advance, get an e-ticket or consider another mode of transport.
I don't understand how you can buy an advance for immediate travel.
I mean if you know you have to travel at a certain time, then you need to buy the ticket an at earlier time when you are not in a rush. This might mean making a special visit to the station on a previous day.
In most cases nobody will make any decision and passengers will have to decide for themselves whether they miss the train or board it without a ticket.
Closed except for people already holding tickets? Astonishing!
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Some TOCs do Advance tickets up to departure. But that's not what he meant. Most time-critical journeys are not spur of the moment, you tend to know you're going to do them at least the day before. You might not know precisely what time, but that's what flexible tickets are for.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
At a station with barriers the staff will decide for you, and for clarity that decision will in most cases be "no, you won't".
If the ticket machine wasn't working properly which meant you weren't able to buy a ticket before boarding because the ticket office was closed, then yes you were plainly overcharged.
I would write in and complain, asking for a refund of the difference.
As far as the matter of queueing goes, some train companies expect for you to queue for indefinite periods of time. To put it another way, you could either miss your train or take the risk of being pursued as a criminal. It's perfectly allowed for the train companies to do this.
I would write in and complain, asking for a refund of the difference.
But apparently not the hostility of train companies towards honest customers who are trying to pay for their journey?
As far as the matter of queueing goes, some train companies expect for you to queue for indefinite periods of time. To put it another way, you could either miss your train or take the risk of being pursued as a criminal. It's perfectly allowed for the train companies to do this.
At least this issue is not as severe as it was a few years ago now that so many routes offer e-tickets. Obviously in other countries they have long got around the dependency on ticket machines by having mobile tickets or print at home tickets available for virtually all journeys, or they may have nationwide smartcards.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
The UK has mobile tickets or print at home (or e-tickets that do both) available for the vast majority of journeys now. It's only cross-London and Merseyrail that I've noticed being issues recently.
GTR also don't offer e-tickets unless both origin and destination stations have barcode readers or don't have barriers. They have the KeyGo smartcard, but this doesn't support railcards.
The term you are after is 'could'. It may be that they were unable to or unwilling to.
Not awkward, just revenue focused.
The TSA is fairly clear when in section 6-36 (4)(a) it states :
Whilst one could argue (perhaps justifiably) that 7 minutes including getting to the correct platform should the TVM not be on the one required is only just over this threshold, i think the agreement ought to be taken into account given this is what it was written for. Sadly we see yet another area where the rules are ignored and nothing is done about it.
How is somebody supposed to buy a ticket when the ticket office is closed?
I don't quite understand the question or its context.
The OP clearly said that the ticket office was closed and there were 5 people in front at the ticket machine.
I think may have misunderstood @robbeech's post - he was replying to a poster who said "Surely you should have bought the ticket via your phone?" - in other words saying that the OP was under an obligation to use their phone to pay for the ticket. In reply he suggested that the point would better be phrased as "Surely you could have bought the ticket via your phone?" - meaning that there was an option, but no obligation to do so.
I suggested that staff at Manchester Victoria were being awkward to which he replied "not awkward just revenue focused".
Pity railway staff can't be customer focused!
Indeed..... some of the attitudes on here really do beggar belief.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
That they must endeavour to sell them within that time does not, unless it says so, give you the right to board a train ticketless, though.
I understand what you are saying but i fail to see what else it can imply.
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