Northern Station Improvements & New Ticket Machines

[johntea]

Been that way for as long as I can remember...there should be an option full stop not just a ‘grace period’

 

[Starmill]

Same issue with Metrolink machines. What is the issue with allowing a 5-10 grace period on buying off-peak tickets?

Metrolink don't operate to a timetable, so I don't really think it's comparable.

 

[LOL The Irony]

Metrolink don't operate to a timetable, so I don't really think it's comparable.

They do, it's just called expect a tram every 3-12 minutes.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Been that way for as long as I can remember...there should be an option full stop not just a ‘grace period’

Do they have a "tickets for a different day" option? The ex-LM ones can be used with that option to select a different time on the same day, e.g. to buy an off peak or super off peak during peak hours for later use.

 

[Starmill]

Do they have a "tickets for a different day" option?

A Northern ticket machine? Selling tickets for another day? Don't be ridiculous...

 

[Puffing Devil]

Metrolink don't operate to a timetable, so I don't really think it's comparable.

Try standing at Altrincham station when there is a tram on the platform that you could catch "off peak", but the machine refuses to sell a ticket until exactly off peak time. You manage to buy a ticket as the doors close. The tram leaves at off-peak time, without you.

Same as a NR station where the train leaves at the off-peak boundary; you'll be standing at the machine as the doors close.

 

[Starmill]

If the tram leaves at 0930, without you, and you leave instead at 0936, the tram company have not done anything which they didn't say they would. They say off-peak tickets are available from 0930 and that a service runs every 6 minutes from Altrincham. I don't see the problem.

If you miss a train at 0930 because the ticket machine will not sell you the correct ticket, and the next one is an hour later, then the train company have done something wrong. They've told you that that is the price for that train at that specific time and then tried to charge you a higher one for travel on the same train.

 

[Puffing Devil]

If the tram leaves at 0930, without you, and you leave instead at 0936, the tram company have not done anything which they didn't say they would. They say off-peak tickets are available from 0930 and that a service runs every 6 minutes from Altrincham. I don't see the problem.

Going to Bury it's a 12 minute frequency on the new timetable.

That aside, show me where it says tickets are available after 0930, or even 1800 for weekend travelcards. That's the validity period, not the purchasing timeframe.

In comparison, I can buy a TfGM wayfarer from a Paypoint outlet before it's "valid" which makes sense.

 

[Starmill]

This is simply what it says on the ticket machine, from memory. I could be wrong. As the "timetable" is a metro frequency I really don't see the problem. The driver might depart at 0929 when his duty says to depart at 0931 and that would be considered acceptable.

 

[185143]

I was unable to buy a weekend travelcard until 1800 yesterday (Friday) and missed my intended tram as a result

 

[Bovverboy]

Going to Bury it's a 12 minute frequency on the new timetable.

According to the published map, services to Bury are not going to change, they continue as every 12 mins to Picc and every 12 mins to Alty (M/S daytime). Map doesn't indicate if there's going to be any change to which services get double trams, though.
The changes appear to be:
1) Airport to Deansgate-Castlefield service extends to Victoria;
2) Alty to Etihad becomes Alty to Picc;
3) Media City to Picc becomes Media City to Etihad;
4) East Didsbury to Shaw service is withdrawn.
(That's how it appears on the map, but it may be that the Shaw journeys are simply going to be considered part of the Rochdale service).

 

[Bovverboy]

If the tram leaves at 0930, without you, and you leave instead at 0936, the tram company have not done anything which they didn't say they would. They say off-peak tickets are available from 0930 and that a service runs every 6 minutes from Altrincham. I don't see the problem.

The Metrolink website says that off-peak prices apply for travel 'after 0930' (Mondays to Fridays). In saying that off-peak is 'after' 0930 they could probably get away with preventing you from travelling at exactly 0930, but they wouldn't be able to follow the same logic at 0931.
Note that they say that off-peak applies to 'travel' after 0930, they don't say that off-peak tickets are available for purchase after that time. So if you were to miss a tram at 0931 because Metrolink had failed to accede to your request to purchase a ticket in adequate time, then I think they would be in the wrong.

 

[DaveB10780]

Err, in my experience that's how its always been on Northern TVM, they only sell valid tickets. Virgin and Northern ticket office staff always make me wait till 9:30 as well.

That is just plain nonsense they should sell the tickets you ask for especially when it obvious which train you will catch. I would try and claim delay repay in this case if I was prevented from catching a train under such circumstances.

 

[pemma]

Metrolink don't operate to a timetable, so I don't really think it's comparable.

They do, it's just called expect a tram every 3-12 minutes.

Metrolink do have a timetable but the only way to find actual times is by searching on Journey Planners and even then they actually run to a plus or minus 2 minutes timetable as they are more concerned about trams being evenly spaced out then people making connections.

 

[pemma]

Virgin and Northern ticket office staff always make me wait till 9:30 as well.

From my experience Northern ticket office will sell you an off-peak ticket as soon as the last train which off-peak tickets aren't valid on has departed. At a station like Wigan Wallgate where there's a 09:29 departure the same approach might mean the earliest they'll sell you an off-peak ticket is 09:30.

I was sure the old Parkeon Northern machines sold you off-peak tickets in advance of the time they were valid from with a warning they are not valid until xx:xx. I was right as I just found an old ticket with a B3 restriction (not valid before 09:00) sold at 08:52 which has the Northern Parkeon TVM printing format.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

From my experience Northern ticket office will sell you an off-peak ticket as soon as the last train which off-peak tickets aren't valid on has departed. At a station like Wigan Wallgate where there's a 09:29 departure the same approach might mean the earliest they'll sell you an off-peak ticket is 09:30.

I was sure the old Parkeon Northern machines sold you off-peak tickets in advance of the time they were valid from with a warning they are not valid until xx:xx. I was right as I just found an old ticket with a B3 restriction (not valid before 09:00) sold at 08:52 which has the Northern Parkeon TVM printing format.

They did. They were also faster and more reliable than the new ones. At Batley, I only once saw the machine out of order when I needed to use it. The new one has only been working once! I can't understand why they've changed decent machines which worked for slower ones which don't. Is this the "efficiency" we were promised that the private sector would bring?

I personally have never had an issue buying an off-peak ticket before 0930, though I seldom use Northern ticket offices as the nearest staffed stations to me are TPE and VTEC.
Would it be possible to book online using a smartphone (perhaps even as you walk to the station) and then just collect your ticket from the same machine?

 

[pemma]

They did. They were also faster and more reliable than the new ones. At Batley, I only once saw the machine out of order when I needed to use it. The new one has only been working once! I can't understand why they've changed decent machines which worked for slower ones which don't. Is this the "efficiency" we were promised that the private sector would bring?

With the old machine at Knutsford it wasn't that uncommon for it not be working and even when it was working the calibration was often out, certain types of credit card were always rejected and it often froze while you were entering TOD references and you had to start over. The new type seem to have a communications fault where they are often unable to take payment or call up a TOD but they don't say 'out of order' until you get to the point where you are asked to insert your card (unless someone else has recently used it) but the touch screen does seem to be more reliable.

 

[johntea]

Would it be possible to book online using a smartphone (perhaps even as you walk to the station) and then just collect your ticket from the same machine?

Yes, the Northern app when you purchase will offer either mTicket or pickup ticket options (mTicket won't even show up at all if part of your journey involves for example another TOC). Leeds even has a couple of dedicated ticket collection machines platform side but they're often out of order!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Yes, the Northern app when you purchase will offer either mTicket or pickup ticket options (mTicket won't even show up at all if part of your journey involves for example another TOC). Leeds even has a couple of dedicated ticket collection machines platform side but they're often out of order!

Thanks. Wasn't sure if there might be a delay built into the process, for example to stop people short-faring.

 

[WatcherZero]

Problem with the old ticket machines at Wallgate was they wouldn't sell tickets to the Manchester station group (ctrlz or Stns) they would only sell to individual stations so if I wanted one I could use on the trams or use alternate stations I had to get it from the ticket office.

 

[pemma]

Problem with the old ticket machines at Wallgate was they wouldn't sell tickets to the Manchester station group (ctrlz or Stns) they would only sell to individual stations so if I wanted one I could use on the trams or use alternate stations I had to get it from the ticket office.

I'm pretty sure when I used to buy tickets to Manchester after selecting Manchester Piccadilly they issued a ticket to Manchester STNs or Manchester CTLZ, depending on the origin station but I think selecting Deansgate sold you a ticket to Deansgate for some reason.

 

[WatcherZero]

I believe ;ocally they only sold to Deansgate or Salford, there was no Victoria or Piccadilly option at all offpeak but you could get them in the peak.

 

[palmersears]

I've been informed that the New Mills Newtown ticket office is to reopen again after the 2016 arson attack in 'mid-March', according to Northern's Twitter team. It surprised me to hear that Network Rail are responsible for its refurbishment instead of Northern.

I assume the rest of the improvements will follow thereafter.

 

[bearhugger]

According to the latest Esk Valley Railway newsletter, TVMs are to be installed on the Middlebrough to Whitby line with the exception of Kildale and Commondale.

Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs)
Northern have started preparations to install TVMs on all stations between Whitby & Middlesbrough except Kildale and Commondale. You will be able to buy national rail tickets and collect tickets ordered online. The machines will only accept cards, no cash.

http://email.envoy.uk.net/t/ViewEmailArchive/t/DBFB5939536AD221/C67FD2F38AC4859C/

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Talking of ticket machines, it seems that the TVM on Manchester Metrolink system has been targeted by criminal elements with hand-held machine tools to cut into the panels near to where notes are accepted. SkyScraper City makes mention of the Crumpsall stop being one recently targeted.

 

[Bungle965]

Talking of ticket machines, it seems that the TVM on Manchester Metrolink system has been targeted by criminal elements with hand-held machine tools to cut into the panels near to where notes are accepted. SkyScraper City makes mention of the Crumpsall stop being one recently targeted.

Vandalism to the TVM's on Metrolink is far from uncommon, Rochdale line I think has to be the worst for it however the Bury line as you say has been suffering recently. Bowker Vale's Bury bound platform had a bag over it for weeks.
They don't seem to be fixed at a fast pace either.
Sam

 

[Geeves]

New Mills Newtown was down to who would pay I believe. I am happy to see it reopened as in these austere times a machine on the platform would have obviously been the cheaper option. Similar story with the machines on Metrolink. The machine will be a total write off so its again down to who pays. Does a hole being cut in the side fall to Metrolink or does it fall as a repair and replacement to S&B?

 

[DanNCL]

Not sure it's been mentioned on here but Alnmouth now has at least one of them new TVMs

 

[Starmill]

I noticed that even Kearsley had one which is a surprise given the location and condition of the rest of the station. Cross Gates has a new one although Sowerby Bridge still has its old one. The one at Bramley has been removed without replacement. A base has appeared at Moston.

 

[palmersears]

New Mills Newtown was down to who would pay I believe. I am happy to see it reopened as in these austere times a machine on the platform would have obviously been the cheaper option.

One of the new TVMs wouldn't last 5 minutes once the local yoofs got wind of it.

I imagine the ticket office will end up opening from 0630ish until around lunchtime ala Disley and New Mills Central, so the expenditure won't be too great for Northern.