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What is wrong with Southeastern's portable ticket machines??

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Bungle73

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My nearest station is unstaffed and has no ticket issuing facilities, so I have purchase my ticket from the guard on the train. How practically every time I buy a travelcard it refuses to operate any barrier. This is getting beyond a joke now, and tonight I had to quickly get through the barrier after someone else at Russell Square because there was no one to let me through. I've emailed SE about this and they just gave me a fob off reply. I'm tempted to refuse to buy a ticket from the guard and insist on buying it at Sittingbourne.
 
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MikeWh

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I'm concerned that the gates were unattended in the closed position at Russell Square. You probably ought to report that to TfL as I'm pretty sure it's against their operating procedures.

As to South Eastern, have you tried asking for a replacement at the London terminal?
 
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Ahh, a fellow Sheerness Line user ...

Are you alighting at Kemsley?

If so, I'd use the PERTIS (Permit To Travel) machine, and then exchange it for a proper ticket at Sittingbourne, time permitting.

Just a suggestion, cos I know the guards like to sit in the comfy back cab and not check/issue any tickets on some journeys.
 

district

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It's not right to have an unstaffed gateline (whether LU or mainline), so I would report this.

As for the issue then you need to report that to SET as soon as possible, perhaps a machine calibration issue.
 

yorkie

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... at Russell Square because there was no one to let me through....
That's most certainly against LU's procedures, I suggest you contact them. Make sure you let them know what time this was, and you could ask what steps will be taken to ensure that procedures will be followed in future.
 

Pumbaa

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Yes - where is this detail in print please? Some self proclaimed rail/ticketing/all things expert was claiming that this isn't the case any more, and that video links will simply do. I have taken it with several large pinches of salt until someone can show me it written down.
 

Urban Gateline

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That's most certainly against LU's procedures, I suggest you contact them. Make sure you let them know what time this was, and you could ask what steps will be taken to ensure that procedures will be followed in future.

Yep they'd certainly take it very seriously, we had a member of staff who decided to go outside for a fag break for 5 minutes and leave the gateline unattended and in operation, needless to say he was summoned to HR to explain himself! Quite rightly as there has to be some kind of presence to help passengers!
 

yorkie

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Yes - where is this detail in print please? Some self proclaimed rail/ticketing/all things expert was claiming that this isn't the case any more, and that video links will simply do. I have taken it with several large pinches of salt until someone can show me it written down.
We had a thread about it a few weeks ago, and I posted the relevant standards. Unfortunately it is regrettably acceptable on National Rail (providing immediate assistance can be provided if required) which I strongly disagree with. However it is not an acceptable on LU, where barriers must be manned.

Clearly LU's policy is sensible. It is extremely unfortunate that we do not have this standard across the National Rail network.
 
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Pumbaa

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With thanks. This particular twitterer disagrees though (FYI) with the LOROL point, although reading back it depends entirely on the interpretation of "manned":

On many LOROL stations they watch the CCTV instead. When I was on my ALR and tkt rejected a gate opened after 30 secs or so
Many LUL gatelines at remote stations don't have any visible staff (I used to see this a lot at Wim Park)
 

Urban Gateline

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Clearly TfL's policy is sensible. It is extremely unfortunate that we do not have this standard across the entire network.

Indeed, it's all about saving money though isn't it!

Many of SWT's smaller stations have one member of staff overseeing 2 Gatelines, one via Videolink and standing by the other. This may seem efficient, but it always means there's no such thing as immediate assistance!

Surbiton, a prime SWT example, over 8m passenger usage last year, outside of peak times there's only 1 staff member looking after 2 Gatelines!
 

AlterEgo

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Isn't there a known issue with Avantix machines and Travelcards?

Just coming back to the original point. I'm sure guards on here can confirm?
 

Bungle73

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I'm concerned that the gates were unattended in the closed position at Russell Square. You probably ought to report that to TfL as I'm pretty sure it's against their operating procedures.

As to South Eastern, have you tried asking for a replacement at the London terminal?
That would mean having to queue up at ticket office. which I really cant be arsed to do every time. I shouldn't have to do that...and I might not have the time.

Ahh, a fellow Sheerness Line user ...

Are you alighting at Kemsley?
That's the one.

If so, I'd use the PERTIS (Permit To Travel) machine, and then exchange it for a proper ticket at Sittingbourne, time permitting.
The machine doesn't work all the time. In fact I'm loath to use it ever since I put some money in and lost it! In any case last time I bought one the guy in the ticket office at Sittingbourne told me not to buy one.

Also there's only about ten minutes between the Kemsley train arriving (assuming it's on time, which it often isn't) in Sittingbourne and the London (Victoria) train departing, which isn't long if you need to purchase a ticket. One day not so long ago I had to (because the guard hadn't come round on the Kemsley train), but the queue was long and only one window was open. In the end I had to give up because the train had arrived. I purchased my ticket from the guard on the London train.
Just a suggestion, cos I know the guards like to sit in the comfy back cab and not check/issue any tickets on some journeys.
Yes, it does sometimes seem like a lottery as to whether they come round or not.
It's not right to have an unstaffed gateline (whether LU or mainline), so I would report this.
Thanks, I will

As for the issue then you need to report that to SET as soon as possible, perhaps a machine calibration issue.
I have reported it. I emailed them a while and received a fob off reply along the lines of the magnetic strip on tickets can be affected by this and that, which is a lot of old rot because when I purchase a ticket from the ticket office it's fine; I only have problems with the guard purchased ones, and I don't treat them any different.

That's most certainly against LU's procedures, I suggest you contact them. Make sure you let them know what time this was, and you could ask what steps will be taken to ensure that procedures will be followed in future.
I will.
 

Mojo

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With thanks. This particular twitterer disagrees though (FYI) with the LOROL point, although reading back it depends entirely on the interpretation of "manned":
I think whoever said it was TfL's policy actually meant to say it was LU's policy
Many LUL gatelines at remote stations don't have any visible staff (I used to see this a lot at Wim Park)
They should do. Wimbledon Park is rostered to have staff present in the ticket hall from 06.15 to 18.10 and 18.50 to 23.15 (Mon-Fri), 07.30 to 00.15 (Saturday), and 09.15 to 20.30 (Sunday). Where no staff are present, normally the gates would be left as they are, but one of them, or the auxiliary gate left unlocked.

In recent times the policy has moved away from having staff on the gateline to ''Ticket Hall,'' so there is every possibility that there was someone there, but they were assisting customers elsewhere in the ticket hall. Of course if there was no-one there, and there was no-one in the ticket office or control room overlooking the gates then that is cause for concern.
 

island

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To the original question, perhaps this is a matter of coding of the gates? Does the equivalent ticket issued from a booking office or TVM still have the same problem?
 

Bungle73

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To the original question, perhaps this is a matter of coding of the gates? Does the equivalent ticket issued from a booking office or TVM still have the same problem?

No, that's why I put it down to faulty machines.
 
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