New Amtrak Ticket Kiosk Released

[JoshP]

This says it all



WASHINGTON — Amtrak is introducing more than 200 new ticket kiosks at over 150 stations across the country. The railroad says the new kiosks will replace its current “Quik-Trak” models that have been in service for nearly two decades.

Amtrak’s new kiosks will feature an updated user interface consistent with other Amtrak products that allow for a minimum touch experience for the most common in-station transactions. The Amtrak kiosks will begin with a Northeast rollout, starting in Washington Union Station, the Joseph R. Biden Jr. Railroad Station in Wilmington, Del., and Moynihan Train Hall in New York City, and continue through the Midwest and into California throughout Autumn 2021.

“As we continue to modernize our trains and stations, we are concurrently providing modern amenities to our customers, and we are accomplishing that goal with the new Amtrak kiosk,” said Amtrak Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer Roger Harris. “Our customers can trust that they will have an easy, convenient and fast experience when using these new kiosks to book or print a ticket for their next trip.”

The new Amtrak kiosk can be activated by touch, card swipe, barcode scan, or inserting a headset. Customers can now choose a departure from any station and have the ability to select a seat on trains offering reserved seating. Future enhancements will include the ability to accept contactless payment and send tickets to a customer’s e-mail address. The kiosks are fully ADA compliant with available audio instruction for users with limited visibility and a 48-inch height to be accessible for someone in a wheelchair.



News Source: Amtrak

 

[BCL]

I wonder if they're suitable for outdoor locations. Quik-Trak kiosks were built like vending machines and were pretty durable, although I don't remember seeing any that were vandalized beyond just scratches.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

It looks like a tablet bolted to a corporate printer. We lost our Quick Track ages ago so this should be an improvement for people without a functioning smart phone (if the deployment makes it this far). I'm not sure what else to say until we can see one in action.

 

[BCL]

It looks like a tablet bolted to a corporate printer. We lost our Quick Track ages ago so this should be an improvement for people without a functioning smart phone (if the deployment makes it this far). I'm not sure what else to say until we can see one in action.

I'd worry about how durable they are and of course the potential for vandalism. Giving an employee a flat screen is one thing, but I'm not sure that's a good idea for something that the public is going to use.

It is reminiscent of some airport self check-in kiosks, although those will never be left without supervision. Even then, many are kind of boxy without a whole lot of crevices other than maybe a printer output tray and credit card reader. I asked about QT not being available at certain stations and found out that they pulled them because of vandalism.

 

[jis]

Looks a bit like a bank ATM, but of course containing no money