Joe Paxton
Established Member
- Joined
- 12 Jan 2017
- Messages
- 2,468
People tend to shun the post option because it costs. I suspect a lot of people use the likes of Trainline and TOD because that's how they perceive you buy rail tickets, in advance on the internet not realizing that the railway is still basically a walk on one. Were in a rural area and not having a TVM here we issue TOD's and see what folk are buying - people can come in from quite some distance (15 miles away is not uncommon) to collect Anytime Day Returns a couple of days before they travel and have paid the extras the 3rd party retailers like to add. We do try to educate them! After all if some people think you have to buy Anytime Day Returns on the internet in advance and come and collect them how many more decide not to bother as its too complicated?
Perhaps it'd be an idea if the TOCs own booking sites explicitly flagged up the fact that walk-up fares can be bought on the day. (Subject to queues, the ticket office actually being open, the screen of the ticket machine being visible in bright sunlight etc etc!)