A widespread failure of ticket machines across West Midlands railway stations has caused major disruption for commuters, leading to long queues and delays on key routes. The outage, which affected machines operated by West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway, left passengers unable to purchase tickets or collect pre-booked tickets.
Impact on Commuters
The fault, reported on Tuesday morning, affected stations including Birmingham New Street, Birmingham Moor Street, and Solihull. Passengers faced lengthy queues at ticket offices, with some reporting waits of over 30 minutes. Many were forced to board trains without tickets, leading to confusion and frustration.
West Midlands Railway advised passengers to use the company's app or website to buy tickets, but many commuters were caught off guard. The operator said it was working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
Extent of the Outage
The problem was first reported at around 6am and affected ticket machines across the network. A spokesperson for West Midlands Railway said: "We apologise for the inconvenience caused by the technical fault affecting our ticket machines. Engineers are working to fix the issue, and we advise passengers to use our app or website to purchase tickets."
The outage also impacted ticket machines at other stations in the region, including Coventry, Wolverhampton, and Walsall. Some passengers reported being unable to use contactless payment methods, adding to the chaos.
Response from Operators
London Northwestern Railway also confirmed that its ticket machines were affected. A spokesperson said: "We are aware of a technical issue affecting ticket machines at some of our stations. We are working with our suppliers to resolve the problem as quickly as possible."
Passengers were advised to check the National Rail Enquiries website or app for the latest information. Some trains were delayed as a result of the disruption, with longer waiting times at ticket offices causing knock-on effects on services.
Advice for Passengers
West Midlands Railway urged passengers to buy tickets online or via the app, and to allow extra time for their journeys. The operator said it would accept tickets bought on the day as valid, and advised passengers to retain proof of purchase.
The outage is the latest in a series of technical issues to affect the region's rail network. In recent months, passengers have faced problems with ticket machines, online booking systems, and contactless payment terminals.
