Great Western Coffee Shop

Technology moves on ... the WebTIS screen at Melksham Station has been switched off - with a data sheet overlaying it - with just the two buttons on it left working.   An in a couple of days, the collect pre-paid ticket machines are being turned off

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/onwayout.jpg)

For the WebTIS screen, there's now a handing screen that can be seen all along the platform - though it displays less information (fewer trains, and if replacement buses are running it uselessly says "no trains from this platform" or misses them off because they're not from the platform). There IS a replacement display overlooking the pick up and drop off parking area too - not on the walking and cycling route to the station.

The pre-paid ticket machine was very useful queue busting when I was doing "Journey Maker" at Swindon -  just one "fast" ticket machine was in use because the two machines of that type are next to each other, and that won't do at the moment ... so a quick call along the queue - "anyone pickup up tickets" let us divert them to the special machine for the purpose.

Technology has to move on ... posting the changes for a record.  Do others think it was the right time for them to go, or will they be missed?

If this really is the end of pre-paid collection it really will be missed. It has been the basis of a lot of firms travel contractors delivering tickets to travellers and I came to rely on it for business travel pre-Covid. I do hope they re-think.

I don't think it's the end of prepaid collection - just the end of these dedicated machines.  Prepaid collection still available through the other ticket machines at the same station or from the staffed ticket counter.

I'm surprised Melksham got ticket collection machines. I've only ever seen these dedicated machines at busier stations such as Waterloo and Gatwick.

Prepaid machine pictured is at Swindon, and notice of turnoff was from Oxford but related to all such machines.   Looking back, I my post was less than 100% clear ... WebTIS at Melksham (and I know of a number of others - not sure if the screen turn-off applies to all) ... Ticket Pickup at Oxford (and news suggests that it applies to all such machines).  Sorry about the confusion.