Great Western Coffee Shop

Train companies and ministers have been blasted over ^empty^ promises to end rip off rail fares.

Around a quarter of passengers buy from self-service machines unaware they could get cheaper fares at the station ticket office.

From March, all self service machines must alert passengers if cheaper fares are available over the counter in a bid to stamp out the scandal.

But rail watchdogs are worried travellers will still miss out on the chance to buy the cheapest fares - while unions have dismissed the move as a ^hollow promise^ when ticket offices are closing down.

Rail operators and the Government have drawn up new rules for the machines after it was found that they did not apply discounts for family and group travel.

train companies say the vast majority of passengers get the right tickets from machines.

Rail operators and the Government have drawn up new rules for the machines after it was found that they did not apply discounts for family and group travel.

THE NEWS GOT IT WRONG... self service ticket machines won't tell you cheapest price.
News reports in December told us that, from March, train ticket machines will tell you the cheapest fare. NOT TRUE...
1) They just have to warn you they may not be cheapest.
2) They ignore split ticketing, which on some routes halves costs.

A spokesman for Abellio Greater Anglia said: ^Because of a short-term sickness problem, we^re sorry the ticket office at Prittlewell station has not been open as scheduled on some recent occasions.

^Furthermore, we are planning to replace that and invest in a new automatic ticket vending machine for Prittlewell station in 2015 and our intention is to have the new ticket machine installed by the summer. The new machine will allow passengers to purchase the full range of train tickets before they travel.^

Looks like a new generation of software and / or machines if a full range is to be offered (or a spokesman who's not quite accurate in what he says / how he's reported  :D )

The new Scheidt & Bachmann cash and card machines will be equipped with the most up-to-date and customer-friendly screen layout helping to simplify the method for ticket purchase by reducing the number of steps to complete a ticket transaction. They will also comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act.
 
When purchasing a ticket, the screens will display relevant information concerning any travel restrictions that may apply to a particular ticket type, helping to ensure that customers are easily able to purchase the correct and most appropriate ticket for their intended journey.
 
The new machines will allow customers to purchase tickets before they board the train, or collect a wider range of prepaid tickets purchased through the Abellio Greater Anglia app or other websites, and will accept all Abellio Greater Anglia Card Scheme accepted bank cards.

Exactly. I suspect the end effect will just be a sticker* applied to every TVM saying "This vending machine is not guaranteed to give you the cheapest ticket available for all journeys."

* The fact it's likely to be a sticker, rather than an on-screen notice, tells you exactly how broken the ticketing system is.