• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Northern ticket machines - french

Status
Not open for further replies.

matacaster

On Moderation
Joined
19 Jan 2013
Messages
1,595
Idly waiting at Mirfield. Impressed by availability of French language. Chose it, directed me correctly in French to choose ticket type I wanted. Once you've chosen simple (single) or retour (return), specific ticket options only in English!

Merde!
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Haywain

Veteran Member
Joined
3 Feb 2013
Messages
14,881
Ticket types are not translated as they are names, rather than text. So, an Off Peak Return will remain as that regardless of which language is selected. This ensures that the selection will match what is printed on the physical ticket.
 

philthetube

Established Member
Joined
5 Jan 2016
Messages
3,749
Sory of linked, I was playing with a machine at Blackpool Pleasure beach the other day, loking at fares to Watford, and was offered two options for off peak singles, fares are approx as I cannot remember exact.

£97 not london, No issues there,
Or
£107 via London only, Can I not get off at Watford on the South then should I get lucky and find one of the few trains that stop there
 

Hadders

Veteran Member
Associate Staff
Senior Fares Advisor
Joined
27 Apr 2011
Messages
12,984
£107 via London only, Can I not get off at Watford on the South then should I get lucky and find one of the few trains that stop there

You are not compelled to travel via London with that ticket, you could alight at Watford southbound if your train stopped there.

There are around 14 trains an hour between Euston and Watford although only one of these is operated by Avanti ;)
 

TUC

Established Member
Joined
11 Nov 2010
Messages
3,566
Ticket types are not translated as they are names, rather than text. So, an Off Peak Return will remain as that regardless of which language is selected. This ensures that the selection will match what is printed on the physical ticket.
I wonder if it returns to French for the transaction stage?
 

jfollows

Established Member
Joined
26 Feb 2011
Messages
5,761
Location
Wilmslow
The keypad on the one in Wilmslow has a button "V" to confirm the transaction, with no explanation. Presumably most people see that it's coloured green and is at the bottom-right of the keypad so use it without thinking. Pretty lazy implementation in my opinion.
 

Haywain

Veteran Member
Joined
3 Feb 2013
Messages
14,881
I wonder if it returns to French for the transaction stage?
The ticket name, along with the origin and destination stations, remain in English throughout which, I believe, is considered normal for real names.
 

philthetube

Established Member
Joined
5 Jan 2016
Messages
3,749
You are not compelled to travel via London with that ticket, you could alight at Watford southbound if your train stopped there.

There are around 14 trains an hour between Euston and Watford although only one of these is operated by Avanti ;)

I did realise that, though not all may, It is the fact that via london only was stated, implying no option to not travel that way.
 

exesoundtech

Member
Joined
15 Sep 2018
Messages
58
The ticket name, along with the origin and destination stations, remain in English throughout which, I believe, is considered normal for real names.

Correct. In summary, the machine only translates the text that is part of it's own programming. Everything that comes from an RDG (Rail Delivery Group) or other third party "feed" is in whatever language it was entered to the feed in (which, to be honest, is often better described as "railway" rather than English...). So, you wouldn't expect to see ticket names, places, restrictions, or disruption information translated. The reason these wouldn't be translated is the risk that someone at a TOC or RDG changes the intent or meaning of the feed text, and that then isn't changed in the translation therefore misleading the consumer.

I'm sure both @Haywain and @Wallsendmag can attest to examples of restriction text in the feed that make no sense to folk in the industry, let alone the public! ;)
 

exesoundtech

Member
Joined
15 Sep 2018
Messages
58
The keypad on the one in Wilmslow has a button "V" to confirm the transaction, with no explanation. Presumably most people see that it's coloured green and is at the bottom-right of the keypad so use it without thinking. Pretty lazy implementation in my opinion.

That's a problem you'll see around the world on vending machines of many types from many suppliers. The common factor is Ingenico who for reasons best known only to themselves (other than being French) only supply PIN Pad hardware with a "V" for Validate (French verb for "accept") no matter where in the world they are supplying it. Yet, on the firmware for the device insist on translating the validate to accept, so that's what appears on the LCD display... :rolleyes:
 
Last edited:

Wallsendmag

Established Member
Joined
11 Dec 2014
Messages
5,136
Location
Wallsend or somewhere in GB
That's a problem you'll see around the world on vending machines of many types from many suppliers. The common factor is Ingenico who for reasons best known only to themselves (other than being French) only supply PIN Pad hardware with a "V" for Validate (French verb for "accept") no matter where in the world they are supplying it. Yet, on the firmware for the device insist on translating the validate to accept, so that's what appears on the LCD display... :rolleyes:
Maybe that’ll change now Worldline has bought them
 

matacaster

On Moderation
Joined
19 Jan 2013
Messages
1,595
I can understand that the options on the screen are in English to mimic the writing on the ticket, but that's not much help if you are French and don't understand what the ticket options described in English mean - eg what is an off-peak return etc. Surely they could put a French translation underneath the English ticket description, isnt the intention of having a French option to HELP someone who speaks French to get the right ticket? - the screens are big enough.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top