TVM Query

[Steddenm]

Last week i was using a TVM at Edinburgh Waverley (who in the right mind wrote the software for these), and was very confused on what the validity warning was when it popped up.

For reference it was a single from Edinburgh to North Berwick with no railcard, yet the warning that came up said it isn't valid "on Hovertravel services departing Southsea Hover before 0930 Monday-Friday". What has Hovertravel got to do with this?

I sent an email to LNER who have failed to respond.

 

[yorkie]

It's irrelevant.

 

[Watershed]

Last week i was using a TVM at Edinburgh Waverley (who in the right mind wrote the software for these), and was very confused on what the validity warning was when it popped up.

For reference it was a single from Edinburgh to North Berwick with no railcard, yet the warning that came up said it isn't valid "on Hovertravel services departing Southsea Hover before 0930 Monday-Friday". What has Hovertravel got to do with this?

I sent an email to LNER who have failed to respond.

Any Permitted tickets are supposed not to be valid on Hovertravel, even though ordinarily they are valid on all operators. Therefore, Hovertravel and Southsea Hoverport are excluded locations and operators for this route.

Obviously this is nonsensical - the correct solution would be to reroute all fares to the Isle of Wight to either Any Permitted + Wightlink or Any Permitted + Hovertravel (both routes which already exist and are used on many fares to the IoW). But this is the quick and simple solution that the industry has gone for instead.

As a result, TVMs show "not valid via Southsea Hoverport", and sometimes also the TOC restriction, on every Any Permitted fare. Even for a short hop in Scotland.

 

[kieron]

I'd be happy if they just changed the "any permitted" fares to and from Ryde Hoverport.

As an example, there are advance tickets for Hertford-Ryde Hoverport*, and there are flexible ones, but someone booking online won't be offered an itinerary for the latter (unless they do something odd like go via Ryde Pier Head) as they're all "✠Any Permitted".

* You may need to delete any nationalrail.co.uk cookies you have for this link to open correctly.

 

[sheff1]

As a result, TVMs show "not valid via Southsea Hoverport", and sometimes also the TOC restriction, on every Any Permitted fare. Even for a short hop in Scotland.

i frequently buy Any Permitted ticket from the TVMs at Sheffield and have never seen this message.

 

[Watershed]

i frequently buy Any Permitted ticket from the TVMs at Sheffield and have never seen this message.

It depends on the type of TVM you use. Not all show it, and on those that do, it can sometimes be rather hidden.