Problems with TPE TVMs

[John B]

Today I purchased a Dewsbury to Manchester off peak day return. The ticket machine issued tickets which stated travel via Hebden Bridge only. Hardly any use when there is no service on a Sunday. Went to the ticket office and had to pay a supplement to travel on Trans Pennine. Still had trouble explaining the situation to the TP guard.

 

[yorkie]

Today I purchased a Dewsbury to Manchester off peak day return. The ticket machine issued tickets which stated travel via Hebden Bridge only. Hardly any use when there is no service on a Sunday. Went to the ticket office and had to pay a supplement to travel on Trans Pennine. Still had trouble explaining the situation to the TP guard.

Was that the only option on the machine? Next time you are at that machine can you take a look?

If the machine is offering those fares without suggesting there is a restriction then there might be a case to argue that the restriction might not be enforceable.

The excess to travel via Stalybridge would be £3.60 (less any railcard discount) and is the same price on the train as at the ticket office.

I do not understand why anything had to be "explained" on the train, if you had already paid it though.

 

[John B]

I cannot say 100% that it was the only option. I have had no problems before and I would assume that to travel via Hebden Bridge would entail selecting that option. Regarding the TP guard, I still had to present the ticket which showed only valid by Hebden Bridge and then show an excess fare ticket which allowed travel on TP which took a bit of explaining
Curiously when I took the tickets to the ticket office at Dewsbury the clerk showed no surprise at all and issued the excess fare tickets without hesitation. Maybe it was a blip on the machine but it could have caused embarrassment on the Trans Pennine train if I had only given the tickets a cursory glance.

 

[Spartacus]

The one at Dewsbury on the Leeds bound platform nearly did me by issuing a VOID ticket between my outward and return yesterday, great fun diving off with a pushchair, snatching my return and getting back on again before the train left, luckily the machines are that slow that the person behind me was nowhere near completing their purchase. Thank god I'd not bought one from the main building machines and it had done the same thing. Then again, with no ticket checks.........

Also problems reported at Huddersfield Friday evening, all four machines out of order and all sales, including buy and collects, having to be done through the one window that was open.

 

[John B]

Today at Batley I tried to buy an off peak day return from Batley to Manchester(2 trans Pennine trains per hour). The only option available was via Hebden Bridge and travelling in the opposite direction to change at Leeds.
The same applies at Dewsbury. Off peak day return is only valid via Hebden Bridge. Anyone know why ?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I cannot say 100% that it was the only option. I have had no problems before and I would assume that to travel via Hebden Bridge would entail selecting that option. Regarding the TP guard, I still had to present the ticket which showed only valid by Hebden Bridge and then show an excess fare ticket which allowed travel on TP which took a bit of explaining

Unless the guard was grossly incompetent he should know what a route excess is, and indeed would have been able to issue it on the train. They are hardly obscure or unusual.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I cannot say 100% that it was the only option. I have had no problems before and I would assume that to travel via Hebden Bridge would entail selecting that option. Regarding the TP guard, I still had to present the ticket which showed only valid by Hebden Bridge and then show an excess fare ticket which allowed travel on TP which took a bit of explaining
Curiously when I took the tickets to the ticket office at Dewsbury the clerk showed no surprise at all and issued the excess fare tickets without hesitation. Maybe it was a blip on the machine but it could have caused embarrassment on the Trans Pennine train if I had only given the tickets a cursory glance.

Do these have the same setup as the Scheidt & Bachmann ones common elsewhere on the network, i.e. the front screen is most popular tickets, decided automatically, which includes routeing information? I think this is a poor setup compared with popular *destinations*, as the required ticket type will vary depending on e.g. time of day and day of week.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Today at Batley I tried to buy an off peak day return from Batley to Manchester(2 trans Pennine trains per hour). The only option available was via Hebden Bridge and travelling in the opposite direction to change at Leeds.
The same applies at Dewsbury. Off peak day return is only valid via Hebden Bridge. Anyone know why ?

Via Hebden Bridge is set by Northern and Any Permitted by TPE, which might provide an explanation - Northern aren't a fan of period returns.

 

[Starmill]

Today at Batley I tried to buy an off peak day return from Batley to Manchester(2 trans Pennine trains per hour). The only option available was via Hebden Bridge and travelling in the opposite direction to change at Leeds.
The same applies at Dewsbury. Off peak day return is only valid via Hebden Bridge. Anyone know why ?

Because TransPennine Express recently deleted nearly all Off Peak Day Return tickets they control. Even Huddersfield to Stalybridge! Their new policy is that all passengers making a return journey the same day are given a ticket with a return portion valid for one month. This is in order to effect a stealth fare rise of, in the case of Manchester to Sheffield, as much as 10%. Hope you like it.
For a journey from Batley to Manchester, if you wish to travel on direct TransPennine Daytime trains, the return price is the £17.80 Off Peak Return (or £24.20 before 0845 weekdays).

 

[thejuggler]

Was that the only option on the machine? Next time you are at that machine can you take a look?

If the machine is offering those fares without suggesting there is a restriction then there might be a case to argue that the restriction might not be enforceable.

The excess to travel via Stalybridge would be £3.60 (less any railcard discount) and is the same price on the train as at the ticket office.

I do not understand why anything had to be "explained" on the train, if you had already paid it though.

The programming of the machines changes so regularly what it did one day may be totally different the next!

When first installed my regular ticket was 3 selections to buy a return ticket. "Buy a ticket", "select destination and ticket type" (from quick links), "I have a payment card" - done

It then went to about 8 as they removed my ticket from the quick links.

This week the quick link button is back, but there is now a restriction warning screen which has to be accepted.

 

[Starmill]

Northern aren't a fan of period returns.

I do not know what this means given that Northern set period returns on a wide range of flows including the two in question here Batley or Dewsbury to Manchester.