Tickets purchased from vending machines can cost twice as much as those bought online - a study has found

Passengers purchasing train tickets from station vending machines could be paying more than double the fares available online, according to an investigation.

The study revealed that train ticket machines charge passengers 154% more than online bookings, with the best fares often unavailable or difficult to find. Considering that 150 million train trips were purchased from ticket machines in 2022, passengers may have been overpaying, as reported by yourmoney.com.

The authors of the study examined the prices of 75 trips at 15 ticket machines, each belonging to a different rail operator across England, to find the cheapest fare for one trip on the same day, the next morning, and three weeks later.

It was discovered that tickets purchased online were cheaper about three-quarters of the time.

For same-day tickets, the average price was 52% higher when purchased from a vending machine. In one instance, a single ticket from Northampton to Cardiff (North West London) cost £107 at a ticket machine but only £43 on Trainline's online store.

Similarly, a same-day ticket from Hitchin to York (Great Northern) was priced at £55 online but cost passengers £133 at a ticket machine.

Advance tickets

Regarding advance tickets (cheaper, inflexible tickets available up to the day of travel, sometimes up to 10 minutes before departure), two-thirds of the machines did not offer them.

The researchers discovered that the cheapest fare from Kenley in Coventry to Cardiff was a one-time ticket priced at £74. The same ticket purchased online had an advance price of £27.

The mystery shoppers also observed that many machines appeared to not sell tickets during peak times. For instance, a passenger who checked fares in the morning for a trip from Hitchin to York later that day was presented with only one option for a single journey costing £133. Conversely, Trainline offered the same journey for £55.

Great Northern, which operates the station and ticket machine, stated that customers can purchase an off-peak ticket at any time by selecting "Tickets for future travel" - typically for tickets required for a later date.

Passengers were cautioned about the fine print

The mystery shoppers noted that where ticket machines sell off-peak fares, passengers might select the wrong ticket because "there was often no information about when the ticket was valid."

Instead, the fine print at the end of the booking process stated: "Restrictions apply - please check." It was emphasized that for those in a rush or lacking a ticket office, passengers risk a £50 fine plus the price of the correct ticket.

"Train ticket machines should be easier to use"

Alex Robertson, chief executive of the independent organization Transport Focus, remarked: "Ticket office consultations highlighted passenger concerns about the difficulty of using ticket machines and the range of tickets available from them. It is important that train operators consider this passenger feedback when planning future improvements to ticket machines. To ensure all passengers receive the best deal, ticket machines need to be user-friendly and offer the best fare available at the time of purchase."