Could out of service ticket machines locate nearby ones that work?

[infobleep]

From a technical stand point, how difficult would it be for a ticket vending machine that is out of service to check if others at the station are in service and tell people this?

I was at Dorking Deepdene and the ticket machine was out of service with a message to say use the ticket office.



The station has no ticket office but the nearby Dorking Main does if you know where you are going and have time.

However the other side on the bridge was another ticket vending machine and that was working.



I told someone the ticket machine was out of service and they went up to platform 1. Little did I know the other one before the stairs to platform 2 was working.

There is a slightly caviate that maybe both were out of service and suddenly sprung into life as I walked between them but I doubt it.

 

[Deerfold]

Not quite what you've asked for, but in Sweden if a machine is faulty but can still print, they'll print a receipt confirming the machine was faulty so you can pay on exit. I was very glad of this when I had a lift to a remote station in an area with no mobile signal (unusual in itself in Sweden).

 

[infobleep]

Not quite what you've asked for, but in Sweden if a machine is faulty but can still print, they'll print a receipt confirming the machine was faulty so you can pay on exit. I was very glad of this when I had a lift to a remote station in an area with no mobile signal (unusual in itself in Sweden).

That is a great idea.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Surely if a ticket machine is "out of service", it's not working, full stop?

 

[infobleep]

Surely if a ticket machine is "out of service", it's not working, full stop?

That depends as they might put up the message when part of it stops working but another part isn't.

 

[P Binnersley]

I was going from Whaley Bridge to Buxton. The ticket office was closed with no notices. It is only when I wandered over to the Manchester platform (I just missed a train so an hour wait) that I realised there was a ticket machine there.

Similarly at Marsden the ticket machine is on the little used platform 3. Signs on Platform 1 (to Huddersfield) tell you to buy a ticket before you board, but don't mention that there is a ticket machine which is 200m away around a corner, past a pub and crossing the canal twice!

If they can't put up signs for these "normal" situations there is no hope for a sign on a failed ticket machine.

 

[Deerfold]

Surely if a ticket machine is "out of service", it's not working, full stop?

That depends. It may have lost its link to verify payments. It may have a printer fault. It may have run out of paper. It may have failed to load the database of fares. It may have completely crashed and not realise.

 

[infobleep]

I was going from Whaley Bridge to Buxton. The ticket office was closed with no notices. It is only when I wandered over to the Manchester platform (I just missed a train so an hour wait) that I realised there was a ticket machine there.

Similarly at Marsden the ticket machine is on the little used platform 3. Signs on Platform 1 (to Huddersfield) tell you to buy a ticket before you board, but don't mention that there is a ticket machine which is 200m away around a corner, past a pub and crossing the canal twice!

If they can't put up signs for these "normal" situations there is no hope for a sign on a failed ticket machine.

I wasn't thinking of a physical sign on the machine but a computer-generated message on the screen. It's an unnamed station so I can't expect a someone to add a physical sign.

That depends. It may have lost its link to verify payments. It may have a printer fault. It may have run out of paper. It may have failed to load the database of fares. It may have completely crashed and not realise.

The machine was working perfectly, apart from you couldn't buy a ticket. Every other function worked.

 

[Wallsendmag]

I wasn't thinking of a physical sign on the machine but a computer-generated message on the screen. It's an unnamed station so I can't expect a someone to add a physical sign.

The machine was working perfectly, apart from you couldn't buy a ticket. Every other function worked.

There are many reasons why this could be including lack of network so this could be a difficult ask.

 

[infobleep]

There are many reasons why this could be including lack of network so this could be a difficult ask.

That's fair enough.

As that would be difficult could each machine be fed an off line program so it know's if their is a ticket office? If there isn't a ticket office then it doesn't suggest people go to one.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

That's fair enough.

As that would be difficult could each machine be fed an off line program so it know's if their is a ticket office? If there isn't a ticket office then it doesn't suggest people go to one.

Would a printed sign on each machine - 'If this machine isn't working, try the machine on platform X' meet most of the problem much more simply?

 

[infobleep]

Would a printed sign on each machine - 'If this machine isn't working, try the machine on platform X' meet most of the problem much more simply?

But who would put up the printed sign? The station isn't manned.

 

[AngusH]

I think the idea would be the sign would be permanently installed when the machine was put in.

This would also be good if there are often queues at one bank of machines and another bank somewhere else that gets less usage for some reason.

"There are more ticket machines on platform X/in the lobby/outside the station building" etc.


I'm sure I've seen such signs in a few places already. (Mostly big stations admittedly)

 

[Bletchleyite]

But who would put up the printed sign? The station isn't manned.

There should be a permanent sign. "There are other ticket machines on platform N if this one is not working". "The other toilet on this train is in Coach B". "If reservations are not displayed on the screens, they do not apply; in this case take any available seat". Etc.

Unfortunately the railway is awful at all of these things (though I've seen the middle one on a Pendolino, I've not seen them on other trains).