Wallsendmag
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I think Covid is hastening that.Beginning of the end of ToD?
I think Covid is hastening that.Beginning of the end of ToD?
The plan is to have them at 40 stations which will meet a committed obligation.The one at Derby will be relocated to Spondon. Most but not all stations will get them - some lightly used stations east of Nottingham won't be getting them - Bleasby, Thorpe Culvert etc.
Beginning of the end of ToD?
The plan is to have them at 40 stations which will meet a committed obligation.
No surprise there. EMR management seem to think their world finishes at Nottingham and doesn't continue eastwards, well apart from Skegness!The one at Derby will be relocated to Spondon. Most but not all stations will get them - some lightly used stations east of Nottingham won't be getting them - Bleasby, Thorpe Culvert etc.
No surprise there. EMR management seem to think their world finishes at Nottingham and doesn't continue eastwards, well apart from Skegness!
They just look like one of those bank account things from banks. I'm not complaining though, they do look fine.
Northern introduced something similar to this (It looked similar to a McDonald's screen kiosk) so I'm not sure if it's the first. Japan also already has a lot of these "smart kiosks".
Chiltern (like Northern in being part of Arriva) also installed them, last time I used them they gave out normal tickets. The large screen is also not particularly easy to use due to its size and being so close up.Northern introduced something similar to this (It looked similar to a McDonald's screen kiosk) so I'm not sure if it's the first.
EMR management seem to think that they only serve St Pancras, Corby, East Midlands Parkway, Derby and Nottingham...No surprise there. EMR management seem to think their world finishes at Nottingham and doesn't continue eastwards, well apart from Skegness!
Introduction
Following an introduction to SilverRail at a Smart Ticketing conference, Cammax and SilverRail for many years discussed the benefits and improvements that a joint collaboration on a Smart Rail Ticket Vending Machine (TVM) could offer to the market if an opportunity came along.
Cammax and SilverRail jointly pitched the idea to several Train Operating Companies (TOCs) however due to lack of funding available or lack or resource available within the TOCs for such an innovative project nothing progressed. Rail has always been a notoriously difficult market to enter for a new supplier and after many years and conversations with RDG, Cammax and SilverRail started to have some interest in the TVM proposal.
In 2019, Cammax and SilverRail started conversations with the Abellio Group about the possibility of putting the functionality of a website on a TVM. The idea was to give passengers the features they have come to expect from a website but at a station. With SilverRail’s existing TIS solution and Cammax’s recent work with Smart Ticketing kiosks a new TVM concept was created.
The Requirements
With the support of the Abellio Group Project Team and SilverRail, Cammax started discussions with East Midlands Railway about a solution for a committed obligation within a new Rail Franchise bid. The idea was to provide a low cost TVM solution to 40 low footfall stations which would provide the same flexibility and pricing to the customer that they have come to expect from online ticket purchasing, but at a station.
Ticket Vending Machines (TVM) in rail have hardly changed in 15 years. This new product would move the TVM from being a basic pre-programmed ticketing machine to a dynamic shop window that EMR can offer their full product range through, even down to last minute on-the-day advanced tickets.
The ORR (Office for Rail and Road) has been pushing for some years for TVMs to be clearer and fairer to the customer as they often prevented customers from accessing cheaper tickets, selecting the wrong ticket and sometimes resulting in the walk-up market paying more. This new Smart TVM product solves that problem.
Implementation
Once EMR gave the go ahead for the new Smart TVM pilot, a joint project a team was created which met on a weekly basis and consisted of EMR, SilverRail and the Rail Delivery Group (RDG). RDG played a crucial role in the project ensuring the RSP certification was completed to spec and key Smart ITSO functionality behaved as required.
Throughout the Project the main aim for the Project team was to create a highly customised, low cost TVM which was tailored to the requirements of East Midlands Railway but would also be easy modified to be used for other TOCs as required. The software was developed by Cammax to link the TVM to the SilverCore API, and by changing the branding on the software and the TVM it could easily be adopted by another TOC.
Steve Lloyd, Smart Ticketing Manager for EMR said:
“This is such an exciting time for East Midlands Railway.“
“Smart kiosks will support the industry’s ambition for ticketless travel and to be the first TOC to do so is a great achievement.“
“With the Smart kiosks being much more user friendly, we hope our passengers on our Regional routes will see the benefits of them as they are installed across our network throughout 2021”.
Why Cammax and SilverRail
As a market leader in the design, development and supply of payment systems, Cammax were able to demonstrate an impressive track record of the successful delivery of a number of large projects for local authorities and other organisations throughout the UK. These projects encompassed ticketing and payment software as well as customised machines, implementation services as well as dedicated support and maintenance services to support their partners throughout.
The SilverRail Ticketing Issuing System (TIS) being rolled out across all Abellio TOCs was the perfect solution to integrate the Cammax TVM to. The established TIS was already in place for many Rail systems. Therefore it made sense for the Cammax TVMs to use the business logic encapsulated within SilverRail’s SilverCore TIS for Shopping, Booking and Fulfilment of advance, off peak and walk-on rail tickets.
Challenges
As a joint project the biggest challenge for SilverRail and Cammax was the challenging process of getting the software accredited with RDG. Getting Rail Settlement Plan (RSP) certification proved a very time consuming element of the project as this application was being developed from scratch. However, the wonderful work of the SilverRail accreditation team and RDG team made this process more manageable.
The Cammax software development and the RSP certification was also made more difficult as this happened through 2020 COVID lockdowns. This meant no face-to-face meetings or testing could occur so everything happened remotely.
Another challenge for the Project Team was getting sign off to create a TVM which could print an E-ticket on normal receipt paper. This was a new concept to the industry which had never been done before.
One of the aims for the team was to create a product which would be seen as an improvement to the existing products in the market. Visually the new kiosk has a much clearer and easier to use screen, is much more intuitive and user friendly, along with being cheaper to install and run than EMR’s existing TVMs. As the kiosk is card payment only, this removes the need for cash handling and any potential faults associated with this.
Despite the challenges faced we have ended up with a quality product that is functional, easy to use and enhances the user experience, effectively putting tickets in the hands of rail passengers prior to boarding the train.
The Outcome
EMR’s new Smart kiosks issue both advance and walk-up tickets as a printed bar code or directly to a passenger’s smart card, which improves the overall customer experience and supports revenue protection. Additionally, there is a smart card collection device on the side of the kiosk to collect pre-purchased smart products.
The Smart Kiosk uses the same Ticket Issuing System (SilverCore) and UK Journey Planner that SilverRail uses for supporting customers through web and App rail retailing stores. With the ability to buy tickets up to 90 days out and take advantage of on-the-day advanced ticket pricing, passengers will now have more access to cheaper fares.
Futureproofing
Smart kiosks will support the industry’s ambition for ticketless travel, is much more modern and reliable, and will improve the overall experience for rail passengers.
EMR will also be continuing to work with Cammax and SilverRail to improve these machines for the future. The Kiosks could print bar code tickets instead of the traditional orange mag stripe tickets and in the next phase will also support the direct purchase of and the pick-up of pre-purchased ITSO smart tickets.
The first Smart kiosks are in operation at Derby and Uttoxeter stations. For Phase 2, an additional 28 machines will be installed late August/early September this year.
Not tried one out, but looks like another one of those awful interfaces which mandates use of a journey planner even if all you want is a day return to the next stopThere's a more detailed article on the Cammax website here: https://www.cammaxlimited.co.uk/case-studies/east-midlands-railway-smart-tvm/ which I've quoted below. Also below is a photo of part of the user interface. Has anybody had a chance to try one of these out? It would be interesting to hear how the usability of the interface compares to the Vix system used by LNER and/or the Parkeon one used by Northern and Chiltern.
LNER TVMs aren't supplied by VIX they're Flowbird machines,same as Northern Chiltern.There's a more detailed article on the Cammax website here: https://www.cammaxlimited.co.uk/case-studies/east-midlands-railway-smart-tvm/ which I've quoted below. Also below is a photo of part of the user interface. Has anybody had a chance to try one of these out? It would be interesting to hear how the usability of the interface compares to the Vix system used by LNER and/or the Parkeon one used by Northern and Chiltern.
LNER now use the Flowbird GUI.But the user interface is different, isn't it (unless anything has changed recently)? The LNER machines have the Vix-designed user interface whereas the Northern/Chiltern ones have, by most accounts on the forum, an inferior interface which I think is designed by Parkeon/Flowbird themselves (but I am just guessing on that). In general I think it's a good development that there seems to be more competition in TVM user interfaces.
There's a more detailed article on the Cammax website here: https://www.cammaxlimited.co.uk/case-studies/east-midlands-railway-smart-tvm/ which I've quoted below. Also below is a photo of part of the user interface. Has anybody had a chance to try one of these out? It would be interesting to hear how the usability of the interface compares to the Vix system used by LNER and/or the Parkeon one used by Northern and Chiltern.
Because they’re horribly expensive and only issue CCST tickets which the industry wants to do away with.Looks like another journey planner, brilliant!
Can't they just install more of the standard machines, they have at stations like Leicester and Nottingham? Those are really easy to use and are used by many other ToCs like GTR and GWR.
Yep, and this machine let's you buy "on the day" advance tickets, which you can't on the older Ticket Vending Machines.Because they’re horribly expensive and only issue CCST tickets which the industry wants to do away with.
We’ve had TVMs able to do that for years. But that needs a journey planner interface which some people seem not to like.Yep, and this machine let's you buy "on the day" advance tickets, which you can't on the older Ticket Vending Machines.
Because nobody, as yet, has managed to design one which doesn't also double the time taken to buy a basic ticket.We’ve had TVMs able to do that for years. But that needs a journey planner interface which some people seem not to like.
A journey planner is fine, its just that all the TVMs are really slow for some reason, taking years to get to the next screen. I'm not really sure why, a ticket machine is not at all intensive and an integrated system which can run it well would be very cheap.Because nobody, as yet, has managed to design one which doesn't also double the time taken to buy a basic ticket.
Yep, and this machine let's you buy "on the day" advance tickets, which you can't on the older Ticket Vending Machines.
We’ve had TVMs able to do that for years. But that needs a journey planner interface which some people seem not to like.
EMR do, I have purchased on the day EMR advance tickets, I have also done so back in EMT days.Which is irrelevant for EMR who don't sell them anyway. I suspect this is a very small amount of on the day sales as well. Even then they'll be mostly using smartphone apps
Whilst experiences may vary, I had the opportunity to test the original and journey planner interfaces on the Flowbird machines during the rollout of the new version. In the interest of fairness, I opted to buy a ticket that wasn't on the "Popular Products" screen.The normal machines have 2 or 3 screens an takes less than a minute to buy a ticket.
The stupid journey planners have about 10 screens taking at least 5 minutes to buy a simple ticket. Then you have to select trains which you may or may not want to actually travel on, which gives people the false impression they can only travel on the selected trains, even though they are traveling on a flexible ticket.
Unfortunately they have been unable to reach agreement with TFL on new ticket formats but have decided to press ahead with deploying them anyway.and only issue CCST tickets which the industry wants to do away with.
Because nobody, as yet, has managed to design one which doesn't also double the time taken to buy a basic ticket.
Unfortunately they have been unable to reach agreement with TFL on new ticket formats but have decided to press ahead with deploying them anyway.
So the customer suffers by being unable to buy the ticket they want. It's already a problem with sales by guards, from this thread it seems to be spreading to ticket machines too.
Unfortunately the implementers of planner ticket machines seem to have decided to refuse to sell tickets for trains people might not catch, I can see why they do this but it's problematic when someone arrives and wants to buy a ticket for travel now and a train is due in a few minuites (or is late), those in the know know that they can pick a later train and then select a flexible ticket but it's hardly friendly to the uninitiated.Though that wouldn't be hard to fix so it was only one more tap than a simple machine. Tap destination, ticket machine shows you the next 5 (say) connections to that destination, including any that haven't departed yet as they are late.
You seem to be forgetting that most journeys are return journeys and the ticketing system is designed around people purchasing both their outbound and return tickets before starting their outbound journey. The outbound time is pretty obvious (the person probably wants the next train or at least one of the next few trains), the return time not so much.Buttons to change time etc if you need to, but almost everyone won't.
The new EMR machines are for stations that currently have no retailing facilities, so being able to buy a limited range of tickets is still better than being able to buy none at all.Unfortunately they have been unable to reach agreement with TFL on new ticket formats but have decided to press ahead with deploying them anyway.
So the customer suffers by being unable to buy the ticket they want. It's already a problem with sales by guards, from this thread it seems to be spreading to ticket machines too.