Rail ticket machines left unusable by sun's glare

Strong sunshine is making it impossible to buy train tickets from self-service machines at some stations.

Glare is leaving passengers unable to see the screen, and some rail operators, such as Southern, are being forced to fit anti-glare covers - or even move the machines indoors.

And this is by no means the only problem with self-service ticket machines uncovered by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

Customers complain that too much jargon is used. There's little information about when tickets are valid, nor about child fares. Even where there is useful information, it's often easy to miss.

The machines don't always offer the full range of tickets - including the cheapest - and in some cases peak-rate tickets have been sold despite the fact that the off-peak period had already started.

And passenger group Transport Focus has criticisms of its own.

Even on unstaffed stations, passengers aren't given any advice as to what to do if they are can't buy a ticket from the machine. And with permits to travel tickets rarely available, they say, passengers run the risk of unpaid fares, and penalty notices.

The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) says operators are working to improve the situation, although they're to a certain extent dependent on the machine manufacturers.

But, they say, they are trying to simplify the number of different tickets available and become more consistent in when peak and off-peak tickets are valid. They are also trying to make it clearer which tickets the machines do and don't sell.

But there's more to be done, says ATOC, with operators needing to improve their own internal systems.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin recently acknowledged that the current rail ticketing system is too complicated. "We need to see improvements," he said.

It's emerged that while a paper day return to Gatwick from London Victoria on the Gatwick Express costs £26.70, it's £39.60 if contactless payment is used.

If you can't buy a ticket - or a permit to travel - before getting on the train, you may not be liable for a penalty fare if you can demonstrate that it wasn't your fault. Photographs of a faulty (or unreadable) ticket machine may help.