Published on: Thursday, 15 January 2015
Last updated: Wednesday, 5 October 2016
AbellioGreater Anglia and Suffolk County Council are to jointly fund a new automaticticket vending machine and CCTV at Halesworth rail station.
The newmachine, along with CCTV, will be installed on the Lowestoft bound platformnext year and means that, for the first time, passengers will be able topurchase their train tickets before they travel and even collect tickets whichthey have bought online.
Theinstallation of the new ticket machine and CCTV has been part-funded by SuffolkCounty Council and the Designated Community Rail Development Fund, followingsuccessfulf ticket machine installation last year at other East Suffolk Linestations (Woodbridge, Saxmundham and Beccles) between Ipswich and Lowestoft withthe support of the East Suffolk Community Rail Partnership.
The new Scheidt & Bachmann card only machine will be equipped withthe most up-to-date and customer-friendly screen layout helping to simplify themethod for ticket purchase by reducing the number of steps to complete a tickettransaction. It will also comply with the requirements of the DisabilityDiscrimination Act.
When purchasing a ticket, the screen will display relevant informationconcerning any travel restrictions that may apply to a particular ticket type,helping to ensure that customers are easily able to purchase the correct andmost appropriate ticket for their intended journey.
The new machine will allow customers to purchase tickets before theyboard the train, or collect a wider range of prepaid tickets purchased throughthe Abellio Greater Anglia app or other websites, and will accept all AbellioGreater Anglia Card Scheme accepted bank cards.
The installation of CCTV in conjunction with this investment will meanthat passengers will be able to purchase tickets and wait for trains in a moresecure environment.
The initiative is aimed atimproving the service offered to customers at some of the busier rural stationswhich do not have a ticket office.
Jonathan Denby, Abellio GreaterAnglia’s Head of Corporate Affairs, said: "The new ticket machine willmake ticket purchasing much easier for passengers, in addition to theprint-at-home and mobile ticketing options we have made available along theEast Suffolk line, and the installation of CCTV will enhance customers’feelings of safety and security while they wait fortrains. We are grateful for the supportof Suffolk County Council and Designated Community Rail Fund in taking thiscustomer and community-focused improvement forward."
Cllr Graham Newman, SuffolkCounty Council’s Cabinet Member for Roads, Transport & Planning, said: “SuffolkCounty Council is delighted to be supporting Abellio Greater Anglia with theprovision of a new ticket vending machine at Halesworth.
“Investment in this type offacility demonstrates our mutual continued commitment to improving Suffolk’sstations. It improves the customer experience and encourages more peopleto use the train. Halesworth - as one of the principle stations on theEast Suffolk network - was a key priority for being equipped with such a machine, given the fact that we now havean hourly Ipswich to Lowestoft train service, and passenger numbers continue toshow year-on-year increases.”
This latest improvement for the popular East Suffolk Line comes after Abellio GreaterAnglia completed a £3 million refurbishment of the two-carriageClass 156 vehicles that operate on the line earlier this year. The fleet ofnine trains received a complete interior overhaul, including new carpets, dadopanels, seat covers and a deep clean as well as the installation of a newpassenger information system which delivers automatic announcements and auniversal access toilet.