Northern Station Improvements & New Ticket Machines

[Killingworth]

The one at Dore & Totley has succumbed to sun stroke. It faces due East and when the sun is high at commuter time it slowly starts to black out from the top before calling it a day and closing down for a siesta. Clearly a tropicalised version should have been installed. The screen becomes hot to touch. Regular users know that if a couple stand in front of the screen it will probably cool down enough to be able to use the disabled button and slide the display to the bottom of the screen. It may then work.

Down here in sunny south-west Sheffield Network Rail have imposed a 20 mph speed restriction on the Hope Valley line beside our station because the tracks are in danger of buckling in the heat.

 

[185]

Have lodged a complaint with Northern in relation to their removal of their TVM at Manchester Piccadilly P13/14 overbridge.

It's the only point of purchase for those entering the station via the Fairfield Street lift. The PTE stated the TVM is a listed Squire asset which should not be removed without their permission and it sounds like they didn't know it had gone. No machine there puts passengers behind the barriers without an opportunity to buy a ticket.

There was some suggestion (from ARN) that passengers prefer to now "purchase via ticketing apps" ...which was met with the derision it deserved.

 

[Bantamzen]

The one at Dore & Totley has succumbed to sun stroke. It faces due East and when the sun is high at commuter time it slowly starts to black out from the top before calling it a day and closing down for a siesta. Clearly a tropicalised version should have been installed. The screen becomes hot to touch. Regular users know that if a couple stand in front of the screen it will probably cool down enough to be able to use the disabled button and slide the display to the bottom of the screen. It may then work.

Down here in sunny south-west Sheffield Network Rail have imposed a 20 mph speed restriction on the Hope Valley line beside our station because the tracks are in danger of buckling in the heat.

As it happens we've had a similar problem with the TVM at Baildon. On asking the question of Northern, they have now responded to say that the machines affected can have additional cooling fans installed & that the required work was being commissioned top do this.

 

[Bungle965]

As it happens we've had a similar problem with the TVM at Baildon. On asking the question of Northern, they have now responded to say that the machines affected can have additional cooling fans installed & that the required work was being commissioned top do this.

Cooling fans?? They are remarkably loud already!
Sam

 

[Bantamzen]

Cooling fans?? They are remarkably loud already!
Sam

They do, but it seems more can be installed especially where they might be subjected to direct sunlight.

 

[xotGD]

Cooling fans?? They are remarkably loud already!
Sam

It's a sad day when you get more thrash from the ticket machines than the traction.

 

[Intercity 225]

It's a sad day when you get more thrash from the ticket machines than the traction.

I had a little bit of time to kill between the end of work and the start of the England match this evening so I decided to take one of the very few services to Ardwick from Manchester Piccadilly then run back home (I live in Manchester City Centre) in order to get some exercise and also visit a station I hadn’t been to before...

I already knew that Ardwick had one of the lowest footfalls of any station on the network and that other forum members have mentioned the appalling condition of the footbridge but I wasn’t quite expecting the station as a whole to be as bad as it was - probably the worst I’ve visited on the national network.

As I disembarked and waded over the incredibly overgrown platform, crossed the decrepit footbridge and into the only entrance/exit there is - a maze of stairs where one has to circumnavigate used needles and disused strong lager cans all whilst being very careful not to fall over (especially considering we’re in shorts season!) I finally found my way towards the exit.

But just before I escaped this station from hell, I heard the most deafening noise... it was one of these new machines. Fan whirring away at full power in the July heat, I burst into fits of laughter that the myth was true - Ardwick actually has had one of these installed!

Probably the worst waste of money across the UK passenger network... at least most other stations that have a limited service such as Denton or Reddish South have communities of “station friends” who have the best interests of their station at heart and keep them in great condition. Ardwick is ludicrous though - I won’t be back.

 

[Bungle965]

Have lodged a complaint with Northern in relation to their removal of their TVM at Manchester Piccadilly P13/14 overbridge.

It's the only point of purchase for those entering the station via the Fairfield Street lift. The PTE stated the TVM is a listed Squire asset which should not be removed without their permission and it sounds like they didn't know it had gone. No machine there puts passengers behind the barriers without an opportunity to buy a ticket.

There was some suggestion (from ARN) that passengers prefer to now "purchase via ticketing apps" ...which was met with the derision it deserved.

Have you heard anything back from your complaint out of interest?
Sam

 

[185]

Still waiting. Will keep you posted as soon as they reply.

 

[johntea]

I wouldn't worry about the removal, even if it existed it would probably be out of service!

I asked them about a broken one the other week which is still broken (It isn't even switched on now!), and their response was basically 'yeah we're aware of that in the meantime have you checked out the Northern app?!' - so how am I meant to collect my advance London tickets on that again?

 

[Eagle i-Thrust]

Fairfield had a TVM installed yesterday, the foundations and cabling for it have been there for months but it's installation appears to be coinciding with new shelters too.

 

[YorkshireLad]

My local station (Kiveton Bridge) has finally had a ticket machine installed.

Unfortunately when it's sunny in the morning you can't see the actual screen due to the sunlight and when you tap on popular destinations nothing is shown.

In addition they're tearing down the shelters and the ticket machine is now sealed off. Good job the weather is still decent as there is no cover now at the station

 

[northwichcat]

My local station (Kiveton Bridge) has finally had a ticket machine installed.

Unfortunately when it's sunny in the morning you can't see the actual screen due to the sunlight and when you tap on popular destinations nothing is shown.

In addition they're tearing down the shelters and the ticket machine is now sealed off. Good job the weather is still decent as there is no cover now at the station

One's no good. Their reliability seems to be around 50% so you need 2 or 3 to ensure you normally have a working machine available.

 

[Killingworth]

One's no good. Their reliability seems to be around 50% so you need 2 or 3 to ensure you normally have a working machine available.

I'd totally agree but smaller stations don't justify that expense. Depends on passenger numbers and entry points. Our station would probably show over 200,000 annual entrances and exits if all passengers paid. We have one entry point so one machine - facing straight into the morning sun which rather slows down morning ticket sales. Requests for a second machine have apparently fallen on Northern's accountants' deaf ears. But 3 days a week (probably another accountants' decision) 2 revenue protection people are on the platform until 10.00.

 

[Bungle965]

Still waiting. Will keep you posted as soon as they reply.

It has been replaced!
Sam

 

[185]

It has been replaced!
Sam

A good result. I'm under the impression they weren't going to replace it however it seems the PTE may have had a word

 

[Killingworth]

It has been replaced!
SamView attachment 49963

Does the blue assistance button work? It doesn't at our station, even when the machine is actually working, which it isn't for a lot of the time. You'd think it was there to summon help but seems to be cosmetic.

 

[Bungle965]

Does the blue assistance button work? It doesn't at our station, even when the machine is actually working, which it isn't for a lot of the time. You'd think it was there to summon help but seems to be cosmetic.

I don't think it would work on that anyway as I didn't look to be switched on. However I agree with you it should be renamed 'pointless button' as there currently is no use for it, it does absolutely nothing.
Sam

 

[Old Yard Dog]

City’s old Hyde Road ground was adjacent to Ardwick station. The old stand was moved to the Shay in Halifax where it still stands .

 

[northwichcat]

A second TVM has appeared at Northwich, it's not yet in use though.

 

[Intercity 225]

Are there any plans to install one of the new TVMs at Clifton?

 

[AndyNLondon]

A notice has recently gone up stating that planning permission is being sought for the installation of lifts at Headingley - does anyone know anything more about this?

The application is at https://publicaccess.leeds.gov.uk/o...ils.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=P92VSCJB0FZ00 - it went in on 21 May and was approved on 11 July. According to the documents there, they're planning to replace the existing stairs with lifts & new stairs, in shafts that will be cut in to the sides of the embankment.

 

[skyhigh]

The application is at https://publicaccess.leeds.gov.uk/o...ils.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=P92VSCJB0FZ00 - it went in on 21 May and was approved on 11 July. According to the documents there, they're planning to replace the existing stairs with lifts & new stairs, in shafts that will be cut in to the sides of the embankment.

Thanks, should definitely be an improvement.

 

[Killingworth]

As it happens we've had a similar problem with the TVM at Baildon. On asking the question of Northern, they have now responded to say that the machines affected can have additional cooling fans installed & that the required work was being commissioned top do this.

Any sign of that being done? No change at Dire & Tottering where the chance of being able to pick up or buy a ticket is about 50:50.

 

[Bantamzen]

Any sign of that being done? No change at Dire & Tottering where the chance of being able to pick up or buy a ticket is about 50:50.

It was done at Baildon (and various other machines in West Yorks I believe) a few weeks ago. Since then even with the increasing temperatures and direct sunlight the Baildon TVM has been online & working every time I've passed it, but obviously its a fair bit noisier with the extra fans blasting away inside!

 

[SodTheDrummer]

One of these will probably get the record for fastest time to be vandalised after installation

Probably the one on the Bromley Cross bound platform where all the school kids/scrotes seem to like hanging about. Interestingly a few weeks back a PF poster appeared at the station at road level - this has now disappeared suggesting (to me at least) that installation of the machines has been delayed.

 

[Killingworth]

What a disastrous waste of money this TVM intallation is proving to be. The new model is totally unfit for the role it's been chosen to fulfill. The one on platforms 13/14 at Piccadilly is weather protected, but most are not. The one at Burneside faces into the sun and, like so many others, was blacked out in yesterday's heat.



Parkeon have sold Northern (and others?) a load of expensive scrap unless they can get them all fixed very soon.

 

[northwichcat]

^ Touch screens reflect light. To ensure they are usable you should consider where the light will come from, for natural light that means the machine is facing north and the person using it faces south so you avoid too much of a reflection from the sun. Alternatively a small shelter could be put over the top of them, which would have the added advantage that on a wet day passengers can put their tickets away without them getting wet.

 

[LowLevel]

The old TVM at Widnes used to fill up with water and ruin the tickets as they came out. The new ones don't seem to be much better.

 

[Killingworth]

^ Touch screens reflect light. To ensure they are usable you should consider where the light will come from, for natural light that means they should face south as you don't get sunlight from the north so you avoid too much of a reflection. Alternatively a small shelter could be put over the top of them, which would have the added advantage that on a wet day passengers can put their tickets away without them getting wet.

Many have been given a very small shelter which protects from rain coming from behind them, but not so much if coming from the direction the machine faces.

Sun in the early morning is at such a low angle any shelter would have to be massive to protect from glare. The answer is to make them face north, not south, to avoid the glare of the sun, as well as reflections. Facing south would be totally wrong - even if the overheating issue is resolved.