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Manchester bus/train system one; can I use the city trams?

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Howardh

Howardh

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As it says, I'm buying the all-day S1 bus/train ticket, but may want to cross Manchester (Picc/Vic) by tram - is my S1 ticket valid on that/ Thanks!
 
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Howardh

Howardh

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Thanks!

Well after all that I'm not a happy bunny. Took the car to Lostock Parkway, ticket office closed, machine doesn't sell the S1 B+T. Train rolls in, so I ask the guard before I get on "can I buy this ticket off you" and he says "he doesn't know - have to check" so I could have got on, found he couldn't sell it so be stuck at Victoria trying to explain why I'm travelling ticketless.

What's worse is it isn't available on-line/app. For goodness sakes, I can buy a ticket for a tier 10 non-league game on-line, but not a popular commuter/shopper ticket. So I'm now back home seething.

In future - I'll get my local bus, by on there, travel one stop, get off, get in my car and drive to the station ticket in hand.
 
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Solent&Wessex

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Howardh said:
Thanks!

Well after all that I'm not a happy bunny. Took the car to Lostock Parkway, ticket office closed, machine doesn't sell the S1 B+T. Train rolls in, so I ask the guard before I get on "can I buy this ticket off you" and he says "he doesn't know - have to check" so I could have got on, found he couldn't sell it so be stuck at Victoria trying to explain why I'm travelling ticketless.

What's worse is it isn't available on-line/app. For goodness sakes, I can buy a ticket for a tier 10 non-league game on-line, but not a popular commuter/shopper ticket. So I'm now back home seething.

In future - I'll get my local bus, by on there, travel one stop, get off, get in my car and drive to the station ticket in hand.
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The Guard can sell it, it's very easy, but fairly rare to sell one. He just won't know what he's doing. It's not in as System 1, it's in the machine as "GM Daysaver TB" if I remember correctly.
 
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Bletchleyite

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Howardh said:
Well after all that I'm not a happy bunny. Took the car to Lostock Parkway, ticket office closed, machine doesn't sell the S1 B+T. Train rolls in, so I ask the guard before I get on "can I buy this ticket off you" and he says "he doesn't know - have to check" so I could have got on, found he couldn't sell it so be stuck at Victoria trying to explain why I'm travelling ticketless.
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I'd blame the guard there. They know full well that the inspectors at Vic are strict, so why couldn't they have spent 5 seconds issuing a blank and writing on it what ticket you wanted and that they should issue it without penalty?

Talking of buses, though, in the days when then-MK Metro day tickets were accepted but not sold on other operators' tendered services I very often stopped an MK Metro bus, bought the ticket and got straight back off. Sometimes got you funny looks, but on explaining why they mostly understood.
 
gordonthemoron

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Bletchleyite said:
I'd blame the guard there. They know full well that the inspectors at Vic are strict, so why couldn't they have spent 5 seconds issuing a blank and writing on it what ticket you wanted and that they should issue it without penalty?

Talking of buses, though, in the days when then-MK Metro day tickets were accepted but not sold on other operators' tendered services I very often stopped an MK Metro bus, bought the ticket and got straight back off. Sometimes got you funny looks, but on explaining why they mostly understood.
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I think I've done similar with the old Arriva day tickets, when they were accepted by other operators, not that we have (m)any other operators now :(
 
Howardh

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I contacted Northern and this was thir reply (note - nothing about the guard)

"Hi Howard, these tickets are available to purchase from Northern ticket offices. If you are travelling from an unmanned station please get a 'promise to pay' slip from the ticket machine so the conductor knows you intend to purchase from your next point of purchase".

I haven't seen a PTP machine @ Lostock Parkway, I'll have another look but even so I really don't fancy having to explain at Victoria when there's a working machine @ Lostock.
 
_toommm_

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Howardh said:
I contacted Northern and this was thir reply (note - nothing about the guard)

"Hi Howard, these tickets are available to purchase from Northern ticket offices. If you are travelling from an unmanned station please get a 'promise to pay' slip from the ticket machine so the conductor knows you intend to purchase from your next point of purchase".

I haven't seen a PTP machine @ Lostock Parkway, I'll have another look but even so I really don't fancy having to explain at Victoria when there's a working machine @ Lostock.
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There’s not one of the old style Promise to Pay machines that you’re probably thinking of. You choose a ticket on the ticket machine, click to pay by cash, then it’ll issue a PtP.

Of course that in itself is disingenuous because the PtP says you agree to pay by cash, and Northern’s PtP scheme is dubious anyway.
 
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_toommm_ said:
There’s not one of the old style Promise to Pay machines that you’re probably thinking of. You choose a ticket on the ticket machine, click to pay by cash, then it’ll issue a PtP.

Of course that in itself is disingenuous because the PtP says you agree to pay by cash, and Northern’s PtP scheme is dubious anyway.
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The old style machines are called Permit to Travel.

In essence Northern's system is a free version of the same thing (so they don't have to go round emptying 5ps out). The reason you have to click through to a ticket is to stop people just holding the button down and printing a whole roll full of them. It also allows you to check that you've got the right cash to buy the intended ticket.

Really could do with a "I can't find the ticket I want" button to get one, though.
 
Howardh

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Thanks for the above, when I next call I'll find that on the machine; but doesn't that mean finding a ticket first and promising to buy one you don't really want (ie a Lostocl/Manchester return) and that's the one you pay for...or can you tell them that was the only ticket available but the one I actually want is that S1 B+T (GM saver TB)?
 
Watershed

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Howardh said:
Thanks for the above, when I next call I'll find that on the machine; but doesn't that mean finding a ticket first and promising to buy one you don't really want (ie a Lostocl/Manchester return) and that's the one you pay for...or can you tell them that was the only ticket available but the one I actually want is that S1 B+T (GM saver TB)?
Click to expand...
You can select any ticket you want; the origin/ticket you select won't be shown on the PtP.
 
Howardh

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johncrossley said:
Any reason why these machines can't sell the ticket?
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R/e the T+B (System 1) ticket, Northern have explained that the difficulty lies with distributing the money to other companies (bus/TPE I suppose). That argument falls a bit flat considering their ticket offices do exactly that - as do bus drivers etc - the machine is merely doing what the ticket seller does!

My opinion is they don't do it because they simpy don't want to/can't be bothered. I'd like them to come on and give a real explanation. I've even asked the Manchester Evening News to investigate; not heard back yet from them. Do they get more money if they DON'T sell the ticket??
 
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Howardh said:
R/e the T+B (System 1) ticket, Northern have explained that the difficulty lies with distributing the money to other companies (bus/TPE I suppose). That argument falls a bit flat considering their ticket offices do exactly that - as do bus drivers etc - the machine is merely doing what the ticket seller does!

My opinion is they don't do it because they simpy don't want to/can't be bothered. I'd like them to come on and give a real explanation. I've even asked the Manchester Evening News to investigate; not heard back yet from them. Do they get more money if they DON'T sell the ticket??
Click to expand...

Unless things have changed, my understanding was that there is no revenue distribution scheme for System 1 tickets, rather the seller keeps the lot (on the basis that it will even out, because people will buy them for all sorts of origins), so that is tripe.

Do their TVMs sell any sort of ranger or rover, e.g. the Rail Ranger?
 
Howardh

Howardh

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Bletchleyite said:
Do their TVMs sell any sort of ranger or rover, e.g. the Rail Ranger?
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They haven't in the past; not sure if they do now, I'll have a look next time. I have a feeling they don;t as when I have used the ones at Trinity Street, you get just the single and return tickets, but might be there if I inspect closer. There's the Greater Manchester Rail Ranger, the Wayfarer and the 55+Explorer local day tickets which I use.

I would expect to buy all three of the guard if the TVM doesn't sell them or the ticket office closed - and again none appear to be available on-line.
 
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Ticket machines sell Outboundary Travelcards. I don't see any difference with the System One tickets.
 
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