Just that really. I generally work from home but am going into London tomorrow for a course and due to childcare issues can't leave home superearly and buy a ticket before I leave, I have to wait until ds leaves the house for school, run to station and jump on train. So I needed to buy a ticket today. The ticket office stays open until about 6pm. I went at 1.30ish. It was closed for the rest of the day, no explanation. The ticket machines won't sell tickets for the next day until 3pm. So I had to jump in the car and drive to the next station along, about 15 minutes away. Fortunately I bought one there with no drama, but it obviously cost time and petrol.
Buying online isn't an option as you can't print online and at my station you have to collect tickets at the same machine everyone is queuing up at to buy tickets from so there's no advantage in doing so.
So why are ticket offices allowed to close 6 hours early if the ticket machines won't sell tickets? Or conversely, why the heck can't you buy a ticket when you want, from the place you want, to the place you want, from any machine? Or have tickets you can print off the internet?
Can anyone explain why the rail companies make it so hard to buy a ticket? Oh I could have bought one on the train, people do it all the time, but Murphy's law says the one time in my life I do it, I'll get a jobsworth revenue inspector who fines me.
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Buying train tickets - why so difficult?
26 replies
boredofusername · 24/02/2016 16:44
OP posts:
wheatchief ·
24/02/2016 17:01
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Message withdrawn at poster's request.
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