Misleading advice from Northern?

[RyanOPlasty]

Related in part to this thread regarding penalty fare signage, I can foresee situations where a passenger would not think to look for or read such notices.

The web page for the Explorer55 ticket clearly states that tickets can be purchased on the train or from a ticket office.

There is no warning that in order to buy on-train you must already have a valid ticket for the train on which you are buying the ticket.





I suspect that many people who use these tickets are occasional travellers. They would expect to be able to board any northern train within the area covered before buying a ticket, and be unaware that they should have used a ticket office if they had passed one.

This wording should be much clearer.

 

[AdamWW]

Related in part to this thread regarding penalty fare signage, I can foresee situations where a passenger would not think to look for or read such notices.

The web page for the Explorer55 ticket clearly states that tickets can be purchased on the train or from a ticket office.

There is no warning that in order to buy on-train you must already have a valid ticket for the train on which you are buying the ticket.


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I suspect that many people who use these tickets are occasional travellers. They would expect to be able to board any northern train within the area covered before buying a ticket, and be unaware that they should have used a ticket office if they had passed one.

This wording should be much clearer.

And for those familiar with the system it would be quite useful if they explained what you do at a station with a TVM and no open ticket office.

Are they saying you can buy on board instead?

 

[skyhigh]

And for those familiar with the system it would be quite useful if they explained what you do at a station with a TVM and no open ticket office.

You can buy it from the TVM, given Northern's machines now sell Rangers and Rovers.

 

[Haywain]

You can buy it from the TVM

As long as the station is operated by Northern, or has their TVMs present.

 

[30907]

I suspect that many people who use these tickets are occasional travellers. They would expect to be able to board any northern train within the area covered before buying a ticket, and be unaware that they should have used a ticket office if they had passed one.

This wording should be much clearer.

I rather doubt it - I suspect that they are typically local to the area and have used Northern services since the general Buy before Boarding policy came in.

That said, said policy doesn't seem to be mentioned on any of their pages about ticket types, so the original criticism is valid (and should be applied further).

 

[AdamWW]

You can buy it from the TVM, given Northern's machines now sell Rangers and Rovers.

It said "Tickets will soon be available to buy on our website and via Ticket Vending Machines"

Surely this implies that at present (or at least when this was written) that TVM's don't sell them?

 

[skyhigh]

It said "Tickets will soon be available to buy on our website and via Ticket Vending Machines"

Surely this implies that at present (or at least when this was written) that TVM's don't sell them?

The date the page was last updated was 05/03/23. As shown by this thread, all Northern TVMs now sell them.

 

[AdamWW]

The date the page was last updated was 05/03/23. As shown by this thread, all Northern TVMs now sell them.

Well that's nice but they haven't updated their web page so it's not exactly helpful advice.

I can see a reasonable argument that this page gives permission to buy on board, given how ambiguously it's written.

 

[Haywain]

I can see a reasonable argument that this page gives permission to buy on board, given how ambiguously it's written.

It's only a reasonable argument for people in a specific age group buying a specific ticket though - there are not likely to be that many of them.

 

[AdamWW]

It's only a reasonable argument for people in a specific age group buying a specific ticket though - there are not likely to be that many of them.

That is true and I was not suggesting otherwise.

But I'm not sure the lack of general applicability would be much help to someone if they were caught out.

 

[Watershed]

As long as the station is operated by Northern, and has their TVMs present.

I don't think there are any Northern operated stations with other operators' TVMs (though happy to be corrected). However, some stations which are operated by other companies do have Northern TVMs, for example Manchester Piccadilly.

It said "Tickets will soon be available to buy on our website and via Ticket Vending Machines"

Surely this implies that at present (or at least when this was written) that TVM's don't sell them?

It's evidently not been updated since Northern TVMs were updated to allow the purchase of rangers and rovers.

 

[Haywain]

I don't think there are any Northern operated stations with other operators' TVMs (though happy to be corrected). However, some stations which are operated by other companies do have Northern TVMs, for example Manchester Piccadilly.

True, I've edited my comment for clarity - I knew what I meant when I wrote it!

However, some stations which are operated by other companies do have Northern TVMs, for example Manchester Piccadilly.

Doncaster does too. I've never understood why.

 

[RyanOPlasty]

You can buy it from the TVM, given Northern's machines now sell Rangers and Rovers.

But If I had only been made aware of the ticket by finding that page on the website, then I wouldn't even try to use the ticket machine to buy one.

 

[AdamWW]

But If I had only been made aware of the ticket by finding that page on the website, then I wouldn't even try to use the ticket machine to buy one.

Quite.