Train ticket machines reject King's new notes

NEW banknotes featuring King Charles are being rejected by outdated rail station ticket machines.

- Tony Whitfield

And the operator of a route that carries more than 450,000 commuters and passengers daily argued it was too expensive to fix the old devices, with passengers having to wait until new machines are finally brought in. The current devices accept existing Queen Elizabeth II notes but those notes will eventually be replaced.

In April, the Bank of England urged affected businesses to update their machines because the polymer notes contain new security features.

Southeastern, which links London with Kent and East Sussex, said it was "not cost-effective" to update all 192 ticket machines that accept cash.