Similar thing happened to be a couple of weeks bsck getting a train (last minute) into Manchester for work.Doing without ticket offices? The machines will have to be smarter than what we have now.
Local ticket office was closed, and I tried to help someone book to the airport. It first came up with the expensive single ticket with "advance" an afterthought box at the bottom (you can book advance on Northern a few minutes before departure but not everyone would know that). Then it put up an advance fare for about a third of the ordinary single but for the next train it said no seats left, try another train. We tried them all (chances are no one would check on the train anyway).
Then the ticket office opened and the clerk checked and there was a half-price advance ticket two hours later that the machine never offered.
And neither the machines nor the normal online booking sites nor the apps do the split-ticketing that sites like trainsplit do (using intermediate stations) that the government promised years ago would be possible on all the systems. Not all ticket office staff would do that either.
Similar thing happened to be a couple of weeks bsck getting a train (last minute) into Manchester for work.
App wouldn’t let me buy a ticket as it was too late (but earlier than the train’s arrival).
Fortunately as the train pulled up the guy in the ticket office managed to sort me one.
Doing without ticket offices? The machines will have to be smarter than what we have now.
Local ticket office was closed, and I tried to help someone book to the airport. It first came up with the expensive single ticket with "advance" an afterthought box at the bottom (you can book advance on Northern a few minutes before departure but not everyone would know that). Then it put up an advance fare for about a third of the ordinary single but for the next train it said no seats left, try another train. We tried them all (chances are no one would check on the train anyway).
Then the ticket office opened and the clerk checked and there was a half-price advance ticket two hours later that the machine never offered.
And neither the machines nor the normal online booking sites nor the apps do the split-ticketing that sites like trainsplit do (using intermediate stations) that the government promised years ago would be possible on all the systems. Not all ticket office staff would do that either.
Even if you know what ticket you want, it takes so many stages to get to it.This is pretty much where I come at it from.
Ticket machines don't work/don't understand all the ticket options and that stitches up passengers.
People will get the wrong ticket and lose out.
There is no jeopardy for the companies, but only for the passengers, and that can't be right.
Whenever they are decided the union have to give the employers 14 days notice. Currently none have been set.When are the next strike days likely to be?