Much improved EMT TVM

[ChrisC]

Very good to see that the ticket machines on the Robin Hood Line, in Nottinghamshire, have been upgraded to provide much a much wider range of tickets. These EMT machines now allow a full range of tickets to be purchased for journeys from another station and tickets for future travel up to a month in advance. When buying tickets for future travel you are requested to enter both the date and time of travel to enable the machine to sell the appropriate peak or off peak tickets according to the time of travel. Until recently these EMT machines only sold a very limited range of tickets from other, mainly local EMT stations, but now sell tickets from just about any station on the rail network.

Have all EMT ticket machines been upgraded in this way or just those on the Robin Hood Line? When other TOC’s like Southern are installing new machines withdrawing the opportunity to purchase tickets from other stations it is good to see EMT upgrading their machines to allow this facility. I’m now able to do my research online into cheaper split ticketing opportunities and then purchase these tickets from the TVM at my local station, whereas previously I had to purchase these tickets online or from the guard on the train.

 

[robbeech]

Good to see improvements. Hopefully the one at Whitwell will actually give out the tickets you've just bought rather than only half of it and half of the last person's ticket.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Are these Flowbird machines ?

 

[jon0844]

The new TVMs GTR has been installing are meant to be getting a software update to allow tickets from and to any station, as well as more control over the home screen.

 

[JaJaWa]

A bit ridiculous GTR replaced Worldline machines including from the previous incarnation of Thameslink with those features with newer S&B machines that don’t offer them...

 

[cactustwirly]

Very good to see that the ticket machines on the Robin Hood Line, in Nottinghamshire, have been upgraded to provide much a much wider range of tickets. These EMT machines now allow a full range of tickets to be purchased for journeys from another station and tickets for future travel up to a month in advance. When buying tickets for future travel you are requested to enter both the date and time of travel to enable the machine to sell the appropriate peak or off peak tickets according to the time of travel. Until recently these EMT machines only sold a very limited range of tickets from other, mainly local EMT stations, but now sell tickets from just about any station on the rail network.

Have all EMT ticket machines been upgraded in this way or just those on the Robin Hood Line? When other TOC’s like Southern are installing new machines withdrawing the opportunity to purchase tickets from other stations it is good to see EMT upgrading their machines to allow this facility. I’m now able to do my research online into cheaper split ticketing opportunities and then purchase these tickets from the TVM at my local station, whereas previously I had to purchase these tickets online or from the guard on the train.

EMT TVMs to my knowledge have been the standard S&B machines, that have always sold the full range of tickets...

 

[LowLevel]

They're S&B machines but don't get too excited, you may as well flip a coin as to whether they will work on any given day. The one at Mansfield has been particularly problematic of late (helpful given it's the busiest station on the route with a part time and particularly unhelpful 3rd party booking office).

 

[JB_B]

The new TVMs GTR has been installing are meant to be getting a software update to allow tickets from and to any station, as well as more control over the home screen.

I was told many months ago that a software update for GTR's S&B machines was on the way to allow this but it never seemed to happen.

Last week I was meeting someone off a delayed train at Brighton late at night; I had a quick play with the machines and was surprised to see tickets from an alternative origin offered (although it seemed to be limited to Southern stations.) However, it seemed to be just one machine that had this - I tried six or seven others and they didn't offer it. So, could this be a pilot or has 4134 gone rogue ?

 

[ChrisC]

EMT TVMs to my knowledge have been the standard S&B machines, that have always sold the full range of tickets...

The one at Hucknall, when it’s actually been working, from when it was installed has only sold tickets from a very limited range of other EMT stations. This was not much use if you wanted to split tickets at somewhere like Cheltenham Spa. That’s why I was so surprised when I had a play around with it last week to find that it now sells tickets from any station and tickets for future travel.

 

[sheff1]

Have all EMT ticket machines been upgraded in this way or just those on the Robin Hood Line?

The ones at Sheffield were upgraded a few weeks ago. I think I mentioned it on here, but I might just have intended to. Very good flow design in my view - certainly much much better than the 'new' LNER machines which I steer clear of at all costs.

 

[sheff1]

EMT TVMs to my knowledge have been the standard S&B machines, that have always sold the full range of tickets...

The ones at Sheffield initially did not sell any tickets from another station then, for a long time, only sold them from a very limited and seemingly random selection of stations (Hampton Court & Manchester Utd Football Ground - yes, Doncaster & Manchester Piccadilly - no, for example)

 

[JaJaWa]

The ones at Sheffield initially did not sell any tickets from another station then, for a long time, only sold them from a very limited and seemingly random selection of stations (Hampton Court & Manchester Utd Football Ground - yes, Doncaster & Manchester Piccadilly - no, for example)

Stations without ticket offices / TVMs?

 

[sheff1]

Stations without ticket offices / TVMs?

I am afraid I do not understand your question.

 

[JaJaWa]

I am afraid I do not understand your question.

I was wondering if they were possibilities of the "very limited and seemingly random selection of stations".

 

[sheff1]

I was wondering if they were possibilities of the "very limited and seemingly random selection of stations".

No not at all. Hampton Court has a ticket office & TVM. I listed two of the "random" stations as examples of ones it is highly unlikely (but not impossible) anyone standing at Sheffield would want to buy a ticket from.

Anyway, that is all irrelevant now as you can seemingly buy a ticket from any station, although I have obviously not tried them all.

 

[robbeech]

EMT TVMs to my knowledge have been the standard S&B machines, that have always sold the full range of tickets...

As others have said, no. The machines I believe have always had the ability to (correct me if I’m wrong) but hasn’t been setup to do so. According to EMT themselves.
I agree they’re woefully unreliable, again, wow betide anyone who doesn’t buy before they board though. I will admit the rpi on that route are very sensible and accept that the machines are appalling. I always take a photo of a broken machine though, but I supply it as a last resort.

 

[cactustwirly]

As others have said, no. The machines I believe have always had the ability to (correct me if I’m wrong) but hasn’t been setup to do so. According to EMT themselves.
I agree they’re woefully unreliable, again, wow betide anyone who doesn’t buy before they board though. I will admit the rpi on that route are very sensible and accept that the machines are appalling. I always take a photo of a broken machine though, but I supply it as a last resort.

Interesting, because my experience of the EMT TVMs has been good, I rarely see one OoU.

 

[robbeech]

Interesting, because my experience of the EMT TVMs has been good, I rarely see one OoU.

You’ll be wanting to do more trips on the Robinhood line then. You’ll be in for a treat.

 

[Bungle965]

They're S&B machines but don't get too excited, you may as well flip a coin as to whether they will work on any given day. The one at Mansfield has been particularly problematic of late (helpful given it's the busiest station on the route with a part time and particularly unhelpful 3rd party booking office).

Is that the one run by that TanZo company?
Sam

 

[sheff1]

Interesting, because my experience of the EMT TVMs has been good, I rarely see one OoU.

Often one, occasionally more, of the TVMs at Sheffield is out of order but as there are around 10 of them that doesn't cause a major problem. Also at Sheffield (and St Pancras, which is the only other place I use them with any frequency) the TVMs are in an enclosed environment - I assume that is not the case on the Robin Hood Line.

 

[Bletchleyite]

A bit ridiculous GTR replaced Worldline machines including from the previous incarnation of Thameslink with those features with newer S&B machines that don’t offer them...

S&B machines can offer them, the LNR ones do. It's purely down to configuration.

 

[ricoblade]

The ones at Sheffield were upgraded a few weeks ago. I think I mentioned it on here, but I might just have intended to. Very good flow design in my view - certainly much much better than the 'new' LNER machines which I steer clear of at all costs.

Agreed about the LNER ones. How hard can they make it to just buy a day return?!?!?!?

 

[Wallsendmag]

It’s easy select your destination choose returning the same day and pick your trains.

 

[sheff1]

It’s easy select your destination choose returning the same day and pick your trains.

Which is totally unnecessary when the ticket is valid on any train at, or after, the time you are attempting to buy the ticket. Other operator's TVMs, such as EMT's, manage to sell the required ticket in a fraction of the time.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Which is totally unnecessary when the ticket is valid on any train at, or after, the time you are attempting to buy the ticket. Other operator's TVMs, such as EMT's, manage to sell the required ticket in a fraction of the time.

The industry was told to make it easier for customers to make sure their ticket was valid on the service they wanted, so we did.

 

[sheff1]

The industry was told to make it easier for customers to make sure their ticket was valid on the service they wanted, so we did.

If you say so.

 

[robbeech]

If you say so.

I do get this. Picking the time ensures that you do get the right ticket for your journey. Especially when there are evening peak restrictions that you might not know about. Maybe there should be an option to ‘skip’ this if you don’t know or want to give the times when you know that the ticket is valid.
The worst that can happen is a customer misses the train back and asks if they can use the next one and will be told yes (or no if restrictions apply).

 

[robbeech]

Often one, occasionally more, of the TVMs at Sheffield is out of order but as there are around 10 of them that doesn't cause a major problem. Also at Sheffield (and St Pancras, which is the only other place I use them with any frequency) the TVMs are in an enclosed environment - I assume that is not the case on the Robin Hood Line.

No. They’re in the shelters at most (if not all) of the stations do not directly exposed but will be exposed to temperature and weather conditions. However, this should not be an issue as they knew where they were putting them so will have taken this into account when specifying the criteria for the machines.
Won’t they?