TRAIN ticket machines are still ripping off customers in seven out of ten cases, despite operators promising to treat customers fairly.

The admission by the Department for Transport comes a year after a joint action was launched by the Government, rail industry and consumer groups to prevent ticket machines overcharging passengers.

Following a major Daily Telegraph campaign calling for an end to the scandal, operators said they would ensure that machines would tell passengers if they could save money by waiting a few minutes to buy a cheaper ticket.

But according to a "progress update" published yesterday, just 30 per cent of machines have so far complied with the change. The remaining 70 per cent of machines are due to be updated next year.

In July the Office for Rail and Road found that a fifth of people do not select the most appropriate fare from ticket machines, including 13 per cent who pay more than they need to.

Paul Plummer, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, which represents the industry, said it was committed to providing simpler ticketing information. He added: "we will continue to work with the Government and others to get this right". Rail minister Paul Maynard admitted passengers can be left "scratching their heads" when trying to pay for train travel. He said: "Our aim was to make it easier for passengers to find the best value fares, offer greater flexibility when travelling and remove the complexity from the whole ticket buying process, which can sometimes leave people scratching their heads.