FOI request detail

The number ticket machines there were on the TFL network

Request ID: FOI-0954-1920
Date published: 30 October 2019

You asked

1. The number ticket machines there were on the TFL network (underground, overground, tram, DLR and buses) broken down by the payment method the machines accept (e.g. cash, card, contactless payment or all) each year since 2010.

We answered

TfL Ref: 0954-1920
Thank you for your request received by us on 2 July 2019 asking for information about the ticket machines on the Transport for London (TfL) network.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.  I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require. You asked for:
1. The number ticket machines there were on the TFL network (underground, overground, tram, DLR and buses) broken down by the payment method the machines accept (e.g. cash, card, contactless payment or all) each year since 2010.
In my previous response (reference 0258-1920), the following information was provided:

London Overground

We have provided information from as far back as our records show for the various ticket machine types used on the London Overground network. In recent years older machines were replaced with new ones during 2018 and 2019.

 Year Year Year Year
Issuing Machine Type  2017 2018 2019 2020
Cubic FastTis TO 97 101 89 84
CUBIC TFL TVM 25 110 110
FAST OYSTER CARD ONLY 1 1 2 1
FAST OYSTER CASH & CARD 106 197 200 129
S&B TICKETXPRESS LITE CARD ONLY 1   
SCHEIDT AND BACHMANN SDCI+ 75 76 20 

London Underground

I can advise that the numbers of London Underground ticket machines have generally been constant since 2010.

Slight changes in the quantity of ticket machines in passenger operation occur each year due to repairs that necessitate ticket machines being temporarily taken out of service for a limited period of time. The tables below reflect these changes in ticket machines quantities at a specific point in that year.

However, we have during this time period upgraded ticketing machines with new functions. For example, just prior to 2010, we operated with Few Fare Machines (FFM’s), which had limited functions. These were upgraded to Advanced Fare Machines (AFM’s) with touch screens providing a broader range of tickets and services such as an Oyster card top up function and payment card facility. The Few Fare Machines were upgraded to AFM’s over a period of time, as reflected in the tables below.

More recently the number of ticket machines has increased, with the introduction of new Ticket Vending Machines (TVM’s). Currently, we have 20 of these new machines in London Underground Stations.

Issuing Machine Type 2010
MultiFare Machine  332
Advanced Fare Machine  387
Few Fare Machine  180

Issuing Machine Type 2011
MultiFare Machine  332
Advanced Fare Machine  387
Few Fare Machine  177

Issuing Machine Type 2012
MultiFare Machine  332
Advanced Fare Machine  434
Few Fare Machine  123

Issuing Machine Type 2013
MultiFare Machine  331
Advanced Fare Machine  438
Few Fare Machine  62

Issuing Machine Type 2014
MultiFare Machine  325
Advanced Fare Machine  516

Issuing Machine Type 2015
MultiFare Machine  329
Advanced Fare Machine  538

Issuing Machine Type 2016
MultiFare Machine  339
Advanced Fare Machine  589

Issuing Machine Type 2017
MultiFare Machine  336
Advanced Fare Machine  594

Issuing Machine Type 2018
MultiFare Machine  334
Advanced Fare Machine  591

Issuing Machine Type 2019
MultiFare Machine  334
Advanced Fare Machine  589
Ticket Vending Machine  20

Tramlink

There have been 77 Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) on the tram network since 2010, predominantly platform based.

Given that fewer than 66 paper tickets were purchased on a daily basis across the entire Tram network with most customers choosing Oyster or contactless, cashless trams were launched in July 2018 and the machines were subsequently removed. A public consultation took place that highlighted the savings to be made by using Oyster pay as you go or contactless rather than paper tickets issued by TVMs, as explained at: https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/rail/cashless-trams/?cid=cashless-trams

Docklands Light Railway (DLR)

Since 2009/10, 146 Worldline TVMs have been in operation taking both cash and card payments.

London Buses

The number of Roadside Ticket Machines in place for the London Buses network since the beginning of the financial year of April 2010 is shown below. There are currently two ticket machines that accept cash, these are located at Brent Cross Bus Station and Victoria Bus Station, both of which were installed in 2017.

Previously, a number of bus only ticket machines were located at bus stops within the Pay Before You Board area that were removed when buses no longer accepted cash payments in 2014. The launch of a cashless bus system was publicly consulted upon, whereby the public were also reminded of the savings to be made by using Oyster pay as you go in comparison to the previous cash alternative at: https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/cashless/

Date Machine Quantity
 
2014 April  73
2013 April  322
2012 April 419
2011 April  881
2010 April 1044
  

In reference to payment methods, in addition to the aforementioned information given, I can also advise that the following applies to London Overground ticket machines:

Cubic FastTis Ticket Office Machines - Accept all forms of payment
Cubic TfL TVM - Card and cash payment
Fast Oyster - Card only payment
Fast Oyster cash and card- Cash, card and contactless payment
S&B Ticketexpress Lite Card only - Card only payment
Scheidt and Bachmann SDCI+ Cash and card payment

London Underground MultiFare Machines accept coins, notes and bank cards, whilst Advanced Fare Machine accept coins and bank cards.

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.

Yours sincerely

Jasmine Howard
FOI Case Officer
Information Governance
Transport For London

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