Assistant Ticket Examiner FGW

[Urban Gateline]

A bit of a different question,

What exactly does an Assistant Ticket Examiner do at FGW? How does it differ from an RPI at FGW? Do they issue PF/MG11's or only help sell tickets?

Thanks in advance for any insight

PS: I have read the job description but it is quite ambiguous!
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There must be some FGW staff on here who can answer my question?!

 

[welshjpc]

You need to use some more acronyms. Try real words. Please.

 

[Urban Gateline]

You need to use some more acronyms. Try real words. Please.

To be fair, if you don't understand the words behind the acronyms you won't be able to answer my question so why bother posting here?

FGW is First Great Western, RPI is Revenue Protection Inspector, PF is Penalty Fare, MG11 is a Report for Prosecution.

 

[Mojo]

l'm afraid l can't fully answer your question, but the only time l've seen ATEs on Great Western is assisting the guard on routes where customers pay on the train, like the Severn Beach line. Not to say that's all they do, but l often see them on the branches and other local services because of the high volume of customers requiring to buy on board.

 

[yorkie]

You need to use some more acronyms. Try real words. Please.

It is true that our rules state:

• Please remember many members do not understand rail “jargon” (including acronyms, station codes and specialist terms). Such terms should be correctly defined the first time they are used; codes and abbreviations must not be made up.

However I do not believe the acronyms used by Urban Gateline are in any way unreasonable, in the context of a thread in the Railway Jobs & Careers section. I don't see this the same as a general discussion - it's a request for advice from people working in a specific field, and it's in the specific forum for that.


Urban Gateline - good luck! I will alert one or two members who I know work at FGW who may be able to assist you.

 

[Urban Gateline]

l'm afraid l can't fully answer your question, but the only time l've seen ATEs on Great Western is assisting the guard on routes where customers pay on the train, like the Severn Beach line. Not to say that's all they do, but l often see them on the branches and other local services because of the high volume of customers requiring to buy on board.

Thank you Mojo! It is as I suspected, I believe they do not issue Penalty Fares or do MG11's. I am grateful for the information provided!

Also thank you to Yorkie! I have PM'ed Flamingo already but the more insight the better!

 

[richw]

l'm afraid l can't fully answer your question, but the only time l've seen ATEs on Great Western is assisting the guard on routes where customers pay on the train, like the Severn Beach line. Not to say that's all they do, but l often see them on the branches and other local services because of the high volume of customers requiring to buy on board.

I suspect this may be correct as looking on the FGW careers site, the roles in this position are part time, with vacancies at Bristol, Gloucester, Westbury and Weston-Super-Mare stations. They are also recruiting full time RPIs at the same locations.
I have to say the job advert tells you nothing about the job role really.

 

[Urban Gateline]

I have to say the job advert tells you nothing about the job role really.

Exactly!

I applied for a full time position in Reading and recently had an interview, maybe I should have asked for clarification!

Was just wondering as in the interview the manager said it was mainly an on-train role, but then most of the routes are the DOO workings, so the inability to issue at least Penalty Fares seems a bit bizarre as so many stations have ticket issuing facilities so not many tickets should be sold in theory!

 

[pinguini]

Why does a ticket checker need an assistant it cant be that difficult

 

[Urban Gateline]

Why does a ticket checker need an assistant it cant be that difficult

Maybe not on quiet trains or long distance trains with few stops! On busier services I can see how double manning would be handy.

Also sometimes I guess such an Assistant may work together with an RPI or Gateline Assistant? At SWT Gateline Assistants can't sell tickets so such an Assistant may prove useful and cheaper than an RPA/RPI!

 

[GadgetMan]

Why does a ticket checker need an assistant it cant be that difficult

Are you speaking from experience of having done the job of a Guard?

 

[class313]

I can provide a partial answer to this, having been an ATE for a short time (while doing my apprenticeship). While I was doing it, we were mainly just helping out the RPI's really. Generally, we would just do the checking, and if someone did not have a ticket, then an RPI would continue the case. Since I was based at Reading, I mostly did my duties on the Marlow branch, since there are a few stations along there that are not PF stations, so we just issued the tickets if required. There were also many trains that were only checked by ATE's, so we would just do the tickets, and give warning to ticketless travelers, and issue them a ticket (always putting the warning on the ticket as well). We seemed to find most work on gatelines when the ticket office could not cope, and dealing with excess tickets from incoming passengers. If required, we would help out train managers on the HST's or 180's between Paddington and Reading/Oxford if required as well. Ticket office cover at smaller stations was also on our list, such at Crowthorne and Goring and Streatley. You do need double manning on some trains, especially through some of the thames valley stations, to cover doors, so people do not just jump of one carriage, and jump into the next, thus avoiding you.

 

[Urban Gateline]

I can provide a partial answer to this, having been an ATE for a short time (while doing my apprenticeship). While I was doing it, we were mainly just helping out the RPI's really. Generally, we would just do the checking, and if someone did not have a ticket, then an RPI would continue the case. Since I was based at Reading, I mostly did my duties on the Marlow branch, since there are a few stations along there that are not PF stations, so we just issued the tickets if required. There were also many trains that were only checked by ATE's, so we would just do the tickets, and give warning to ticketless travelers, and issue them a ticket (always putting the warning on the ticket as well). We seemed to find most work on gatelines when the ticket office could not cope, and dealing with excess tickets from incoming passengers. If required, we would help out train managers on the HST's or 180's between Paddington and Reading/Oxford if required as well. Ticket office cover at smaller stations was also on our list, such at Crowthorne and Goring and Streatley. You do need double manning on some trains, especially through some of the thames valley stations, to cover doors, so people do not just jump of one carriage, and jump into the next, thus avoiding you.

Thank you very much! That's a pretty comprehensive answer, it doesn't sound like too bad a job, quite a bit of variety and not as confrontational as an RPI's job I guess!

 

[Suraggu]

The Line Manager for Revenue in the FGW Central region is well known. He wasn't called Rocky nothing you know.

 

[Monty]

Have you had the interview then Urban_Gateline? Good luck and I hope it all works out for you.

 

[Urban Gateline]

The Line Manager for Revenue in the FGW Central region is well known. He wasn't called Rocky nothing you know.

Please could you explain what you mean by his nickname, I don't understand!

Yes I have had the interview already, the Revenue area manager seemed very friendly

 

[thelongestroad]

Please could you explain what you mean by his nickname, I don't understand!

Probably not wise to discuss such things on a public forum!

 

[455driver]

Why does a ticket checker need an assistant it cant be that difficult

Try it on a crush loaded train with only 5 minutes between stations! :roll:

You really dont have much of a clue do you?

 

[Urban Gateline]

Probably not wise to discuss such things on a public forum!

Haha I didn't realise it was so controversial, maybe someone could be so kind as to PM me about it?