Since the sector grew after rail ticket prices rose sharply in the 1980s and 1990s, coaches have become as comfortable and popular as their rail counterparts. The period saw an increase in coaches with WCs, on-board entertainment and catering facilities. TouchStar has addressed this emerging market with a solution for in-coach sales operations.

The driving design factor is space – or lack of it. Any solution that gives the on-board salesperson the opportunities enjoyed by train or ferry sales agents cannot be unwieldy; the TouchPC range of handheld P.O.S. units was created with compactness in mind. The small size of the TouchPC does not mean features are limited. Super-compact Magnetic-stripe card readers, 2-inch or 3-inch receipt printers, on-screen signature capture and even a bar-code scanner make retail truly mobile by allowing every kind of transaction.

What’s more, the sales team does not need to learn a list of changing prices, as pricing of items can be centralized, with updates being sent over the air or via a modem. Making a sale is as simple as following menus to the item and pressing its virtual button. The large screen allows error-free sales to be made during any journey.