The new Avantix ticket, payment and notification system can
calculate the fares for up to 50 million UK fare
permutations.
Over one hundred thousand passengers travel on the Thames Rail
Link service every day. Eight of the 51 stations serviced by Thames
link are currently testing a new technology, designed to shorten
travelling times. The new Avantix system provides a complete
ticketing, payment and notification system, within a smart vending
machine. Compared with traditional ticket machines, this system
offers many advanced features for both users and
administrators.
Martin Walters, marketing and communication manager for Thameslink
explains: "Many of our ticket machines have been with us for some
time, some in quite hostile environments. What we were looking for
was a system that was both durable, easy to operate and helped our
customers to just 'Turn up and Go'."The Avantix concept comes in
two versions. Both the Avantix Fast-Fare and Multi-Ticket systems
are based on a rugged chassis with a built-in screen. Applications
run on a Pentium class microprocessor, under Windows NT. The system
can have one of several built-in communication devices, including
modems, ISDN adapters or even direct connection to a network.Both
versions of the system allow customers to select a journey, quickly
pay and receive a ticket to travel. The smaller Fast-Fare system
offers the 10 most popular fare destinations and common options
like return ticket, child and student fares. The only method of
payment accepted is electronic credit and debit cards, with
authorisation taking approximately 20 seconds. This system
eliminates the need for money handling and is both compact and
reliable.The more advanced Avantix Multi-Ticket accepts coins and
notes in addition to cards. All UK currency is accepted, as well as
the Euro - a fact that is less surprising when you consider that
the system also can display both travel and ticketing information
in up to four languages. The system can also be programmed with
current special offers and commonly requested information about
destinations or changes to service. When a customer selects a
destination, the system will show different routes and saving
schemes, from the most expensive to the least expensive travel
plans. To achieve this impressive functionality, each machine has a
number of applications, written primarily in C++ and CORBA, which
draw on information contained within a gigabyte-sized database.
These applications and database make Avantix an incredibly
versatile system, with each individual unit able to calculate the
fares for any of the possible 50 million UK fare permutations. It
can also connect to a full database containing the increasing
complex and highly variable UK rail timetable. To keep all this
fare information current and to monitor the current operational
status of each machine, every Avantix needs to communicate with a
central control location. This can be achieved using British Rail's
existing Very High Speed Data Ring (VHSDR), which is currently used
for timetable and signalling information, while more remote
locations use ISDN lines. The central administration centre handles
all card authorisation procedures and checks on stock and currency
levels inside each machine via the necessary connection method. The
system is currently only in the first stage of its deployment, with
a limited four-week trial. The trail has proved great successes,
especially with customers who use electronic payment
methods.Although the Multi-Ticket is only in the trial stage,
several rail providers including Chiltern railway and Connex South
Central have introduced the Fast-Fare. What was the reaction at
ground level? Business consultant Phillip Ermiya's comments were
typical of the many customers using the system: "In the morning
when it's really busy, I tend to use the Fast-Fare machine as it's
quick to use and I've got a list of all my journeys on my credit
card statement". The Avantix system is likely to be adopted by a
large number of rail service providers over the next couple of
years. Look out for one in a station near you.
Will
Garside.
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