NEWS | Industry Updates Additional units are set to be installed


at Harrogate and Manchester Victoria with a further 34 locations identified for more vending machines in 2023. Mark Powles, commercial and customer


director at Northern, said: “We have worked closely with Decorum to offer our customers the optimum mix of products to suit all tastes. “These new machines form an important


part of our work to improve the customer experience for our passengers. “The income Northern receives from the sale


Eco-friendly, cash-free vending machines installed at 51 train stations in the North


Train operator, Northern has teamed-up with Decorum Vending to install 79 new vending machines at 51 locations across its network, offering customers a choice of top-quality, well-known brands. The new vending machines offer a range


of products, including low-sugar and healthy alternatives for customers who want to grab a snack ‘on the go’ whilst travelling across the North of England. The machines are all cash-free, which helps deter vandalism and means customers can purchase items contactless via their bank card or smart phone.


Northern’s decision to partner with Decorum was led by the vending operator’s commitment to sustainability. Their vending machines operate using low energy technology, they use considered waste disposal and they are soon to introduce a hybrid fleet of maintenance vehicles. The new vending machines have been


well received by customers, with the units at Manchester Victoria and Manchester Oxford Road stations some of the highest grossing machines in operation by Decorum on the UK rail network.


Kairos, can I have an espresso?


QuestIT, a spin-off of the Artificial Intelligence Research Group of the University of Siena, and Rhea, producer of customized vending machines, took part in WAICF, a global event dedicated to Artificial Intelligence in Cannes, where its coffee machine virtual assistant was showcased. Rhea introduced its Kairos automatic


coffee machine where a virtual assistant interacts with the consumer and serves a


coffee at the voice command “Kairos, can I have an espresso?” This is thanks to the Artificial Intelligence developed in cooperation with QuestIT. “I was fascinated by the communicative potential of Kairos, as well as the quality of the coffee, at an event at Ca’ Foscari, in Venice. I immediately realized that with our expertise in AI, we could increase its potential by integrating our voice assistant Algho: a conversational avatar able to humanize coffee machines and turn them into a tool for entertainment and inclusion,” said Marco Landi, President of QuestIT. “We have always believed in the


importance of innovation based on cutting- edge technology to improve not only the performance of machines, but above all the consumer experience, to make it more inclusive and responsive to their expectations,” said Andrea Pozzolini, chief executive of Rhea.


4 | vendinginternational-online.com


of products in these machines is reinvested into our on-going programme of improvement works across trains and stations.” The new machines are located at: Alnmouth, Altrincham, Ashton Under Lyne, Barnsley, Beverley, Bingley, Birchwood, Bolton, Blackburn, Blackpool, Bradford Forster Square, Bradford Interchange, Bridlington, Broad Green, Buxton, Cheadle Hulme, Chorley, Earlestown, Garforth, Glossop, Goole, Guiseley, Harrogate, Hartlepool, Hazel Grove, Heald Green, Hebden Bridge, Hexham, Ilkley, Keighley, Kirkham & Wesham, Knutsford, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Victoria, Meadowhall, Menston, New Pudsey, Redcar, Rochdale, Rotherham, Salford Crescent, Shipley, Skipton, St Helens Central, Sunderland, Todmordon, Warrington Central, Wigan Wallgate, Wilmslow, Workington and Worksop. Northern is the second largest train


operator in the UK, with nearly 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.


“We are constantly engaged in research


to harness the potential of artificial. We are collaborating with various companies and institutions, and we are happy to add vending to the scope and create an increasingly innovative coffee break with Rhea,” said Ernesto Di Iorio, chief executive of QuestIT.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28