Abstract: An automated ticket vending system comprises multiple individual ticket vending machines in a shared physical location, a control system, and a communications facility for supporting communications between the individual ticket vending machines and the control system. Each ticket vending machine is configured to acquire data relating to the current level of usage of that ticket vending machine, and to transmit the acquired usage data to the control system. The control system is configured to receive and analyse the usage data from the multiple ticket vending machines, and responsive to such analysis of the usage data, transmit control instructions to the multiple individual ticket vending machines specifying appropriate actions to address the current level of usage of the multiple individual ticket vending machines within the automated ticket vending system as a whole. Each ticket vending machine is configured to perform the actions specified in the control instructions received from the control system.