New technology from Magellan will support Southeastern’s £9 million programme to make buying rail tickets simpler, more accessible and better suited to the way customers travel today.

Magellan, a leading international Consulting and Technology group, will deliver more than 200 new Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) across Southeastern’s network, supporting the train operator’s major programme to modernise the way customers buy tickets at stations.

Customers will be able to access a wider range of ticketing products and fulfilment options, including barcode tickets printed on paper roll. The machines will support contactless payments and Oyster top-ups, with faster, more intuitive touchscreen technology.

The new TVMs will replace 20-year-old technology, with the first installations planned from early 2027.

Magellan’s Role in the Programme

The rollout is a key part of Southeastern’s previously announced £9 million investment in customer experience. Alongside the new TVMs, Magellan is also delivering upgrades to ticket-office technology and new handheld devices for frontline colleagues, creating a more connected, omnichannel retail experience across Southeastern’s stations.

Rail retail has changed significantly with customers now expecting greater choice in how they purchase and fulfil tickets, alongside the speed, convenience and simplicity they experience in other retail environments.

Magellan’s end-to-end, fully managed solution combines established rail-retail technology with modern front-end user experience. The programme will include a combination of card-only and card-and-cash machines, designed for robust performance in busy station environments.

Caroline Jéséquel, Managing Director of Magellan said, “Supporting Southeastern’s digital transformation builds on our long-standing rail, mobility and e-transactional expertise in the UK, now combined with the breadth and scale of Magellan. It reflects our unique ability to cover the entire value chain – from strategic consulting and market-leading SaaS platform integration to the custom design, implementation and secure 24/7 operation of digital solutions in highly secure and sovereign environments. It’s this combination of rail-retail heritage and end-to-end delivery capability that positions Magellan to support operators like Southeastern as they modernise for the long term.”

A Modernised Customer Experience

Accessibility has been embedded into the design. High-contrast displays, adjustable-height screens and language options will help make independent ticket purchasing easier for a wider range of customers.

Built on a modular platform, the solution is designed to support future changes to fares, ticketing products, payment methods and customer-service requirements. It will integrate with Southeastern’s wider rail-retail, back-office and customer-service environment, while Magellan provides ongoing service management and support.

Johnny Astbury Chief Executive Officer for Transport & Mobility at Magellan said, “Southeastern’s investment is a clear commitment to making station ticket retail simpler, more inclusive and fit for the future. Ultimately, this is about giving customers a quicker, more intuitive and accessible way to buy the tickets they need, with the choice to travel in the way that suits them best. As the industry prepares for Great British Railways and its ambition for simpler, better integrated fares and ticketing, it will be increasingly important that customers can move seamlessly between online, mobile, self-service and colleague-supported retail. We are proud to bring together established rail-retail capability, a best-in-class customer interface and a fully managed service to support a critical customer service every day. This is an important partnership for Magellan and a strong demonstration of our commitment to the UK transport market”

Bridging Physical & Digital Retail

The programme reflects a wider shift in station retail. Digital ticketing and mobile purchasing continue to grow, but ticket vending machines remain an important choice for customers who want or need to collect or buy independently at the station.

Rather than treating physical and digital retail as competing channels, Magellan and Southeastern are focused on creating a more joined-up experience, enabling customers to choose the purchasing method that best suits their journey.

David Wornham, Southeastern Railway’ s Customer Experience Director said, “Our ticket office colleagues are at the heart of the service we provide, helping customers every day with everything from buying the right ticket to planning their journeys. This £9 million will support them while also giving customers more choice in how they buy their tickets. New ticket machines will be easier to use, more accessible and more in line with how people travel today. While our ticket office colleagues will continue to offer expert advice, provide support and manage ticket sales, the new machines will offer a convenient option for customers who want to buy tickets quickly and independently. Alongside improvements to ticket office technology and handheld devices for our colleagues, Magellan’s end-to-end approach will help us deliver a more joined-up, user-friendly experience for customers across our network.”

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