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Ticket machines charge train travellers twice the cheap fare!
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worldtraveller
Posts: 14,013 Forumite
in Motoring
Train companies are failing to offer the cheapest fares on their ticket machines, causing thousands of passengers to pay double the correct price.
Several companies in southern England are charging passengers more in this way but the problem is greatest at South West Trains (SWT), the operator exposed this week as having ordered guards to issue as many penalties as possible.
Families and other groups travelling together are particularly affected by the problem with the machines.
The companies have chosen secretly not to programme their ticket machines to sell the GroupSave fare, which is meant to be available to any group of three or four people travelling after the morning peak. Under GroupSave, when two adults buy tickets another two can travel free. Staff at ticket offices are obliged to sell the cheapest fare, including GroupSave, even if passengers do not specifically request it. But the law does not extend to machines.
WhenThe Timestried to buy return tickets from London to Weymouth for four people yesterday, the ticket machine charged £212.40 and the ticket office £106.20.
Timesonline
Several companies in southern England are charging passengers more in this way but the problem is greatest at South West Trains (SWT), the operator exposed this week as having ordered guards to issue as many penalties as possible.
Families and other groups travelling together are particularly affected by the problem with the machines.
The companies have chosen secretly not to programme their ticket machines to sell the GroupSave fare, which is meant to be available to any group of three or four people travelling after the morning peak. Under GroupSave, when two adults buy tickets another two can travel free. Staff at ticket offices are obliged to sell the cheapest fare, including GroupSave, even if passengers do not specifically request it. But the law does not extend to machines.
WhenThe Timestried to buy return tickets from London to Weymouth for four people yesterday, the ticket machine charged £212.40 and the ticket office £106.20.
Timesonline
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