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Wrongly Assumed Facts by Passengers

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whhistle

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I find it strange that some passengers:

  • Expect to have the platform of their train printed on their ticket.
  • Ask what platform a train will depart from at an interchange station somewhere on their route, and expect it to stick to that platform.

There are way more but these are the only two I can think of right now.

I don't understand why some passengers think a platform will be printed on the ticket. My airline ticket doesn't always have the gate printed on it. That's the only connection I can think.

I half understand the latter but when passengers understand the platforms may change en-route, it's easy to see why things aren't always as easy as they want.

Any more?
 
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Bletchleyite

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At least some TOCs will compensate down to Standard fare if you have a 1st ticket and no 1st seat, I believe. That's as much of a guarantee as you can provide without compulsory reservations.
 

farci

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Speaking as a mere passenger, we all understand platform changes will occur but am I correct that efficient timetable planning assumes a planned departure from Platform X?

In Germany you can print out or see on the DB app the scheduled platform. Maybe an electronic notification is a more reasonable expectation rather than the pretty low-tech tickets that are widely used.

I think your assumption that passengers have unreasonable expectations is misplaced
 

The Planner

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Speaking as a mere passenger, we all understand platform changes will occur but am I correct that efficient timetable planning assumes a planned departure from Platform X?

In Germany you can print out or see on the DB app the scheduled platform. Maybe an electronic notification is a more reasonable expectation rather than the pretty low-tech tickets that are widely used.

I think your assumption that passengers have unreasonable expectations is misplaced
Yes, trains are planned into specific platforms.
 

TheDavibob

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On various routes it's perfectly possible to know which platform connections are from, for example along the WCML (when I've definitely had then-LM guards give detailed information about connecting platforms at Rugby and Nuneaton, and the comparatively trivial high-level connections at Tamworth/Lichfield TV), though not sure how good they are when the platforming is more variable (Stafford, Crewe (?) ). Granted, everyone on this forum knows where to go at these stations, but the general public don't.
 

bb21

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At least some TOCs will compensate down to Standard fare if you have a 1st ticket and no 1st seat, I believe. That's as much of a guarantee as you can provide without compulsory reservations.
Why "some"?

NRCoT Conditions 3.3 and 31 together gives one the right to a partial refund if there were no seats left in First Class.
 

Essexman

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That Richard Branson owns the Pendolinos.

That the train operator is to blame whatever the real cause of the delay.
 

Darandio

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That everything was rosy before privatisation and therefore everything will be much better if it was renationalised.
 

rebmcr

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At least some TOCs will compensate down to Standard fare if you have a 1st ticket and no 1st seat, I believe. That's as much of a guarantee as you can provide without compulsory reservations.

Why "some"?

NRCoT Conditions 3.3 and 31 together gives one the right to a partial refund if there were no seats left in First Class.

Because only some TOCs offer 1st Class!
 

theageofthetra

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That tapping your watch at the driver when your train arrives late will not make them think you are a t#rd of the lowest order.
 

mrcheek

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That Richard Branson owns the Pendolinos.

That the train operator is to blame whatever the real cause of the delay.
this is a common one. so often I hear people complaining online "Damn you GWR, train delayed again". so I ask them what the issue was, and they reply "signalling problems"
 

plymothian

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You do not need a ticket for the full length of your journey before starting and you can blag the last bit on the branch line, bonus if the guard doesn't get to you.

You can only buy a ticket for the train you are on.

One TOC cannot sell another TOC's ticket.

Split ticketing is always cheaper.
 

Bletchleyite

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Speaking as a mere passenger, we all understand platform changes will occur but am I correct that efficient timetable planning assumes a planned departure from Platform X?

Generally yes - Euston is certainly fairly consistent, to the point that many commuters just head to the booked platform and only bother looking at anything if something looks wrong, e.g. train missing, unduly low or high number of other passengers, wrong length or the wrong type of 350 on one of the diagrams where it's consistent.
 

pdeaves

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You can only buy a ticket for the train you are on.

One TOC cannot sell another TOC's ticket.

Split ticketing is always cheaper.

Sadly, these do seem to be 'popular' misunderstandings. Add to that, that rebooking is necessary at each transfer point (i.e. through fares from one TOC to other(s) are not available).
 

WelshBluebird

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  • That you can trust what a member of staff tells you
  • That buying in advance is always cheaper
 

fairysdad

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this is a common one. so often I hear people complaining online "Damn you GWR, train delayed again". so I ask them what the issue was, and they reply "signalling problems"
There was some stuff on Twitter last night aimed at SWR along the lines of "Why don't you use the extra fare money to clear trees from the sides of the track, or are you just going to blame Network Rail again?"

I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry... in the end I just rolled my eyes and closed Twitter and opened Solitaire...

Generally yes - Euston is certainly fairly consistent, to the point that many commuters just head to the booked platform and only bother looking at anything if something looks wrong, e.g. train missing, unduly low or high number of other passengers, wrong length or the wrong type of 350 on one of the diagrams where it's consistent.
Waterloo is relatively consistent too, at least on the main line suburban side - 99% of the time, the Epsom trains will leave from Platform 1, and they'll usually come into Platform 2. That said, I - usually - look at the boards before heading to the platform! (I did get caught out recently when wandering onto an empty train on Platform 1, only to find out when they were locking the unit up that for some reason it was departing from Platform 12 instead!)
 

pemma

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Your boarding pass will though.

I find that is rarely the case. Normally the departure gate is only advertised when they want passengers to start to proceed to it (usually 30-60 minutes before departure.) Sometimes at larger terminals the boarding pass gives some of the information e.g. Gate BXX so you know it's in the B series of gates but not which gate.
 

Darandio

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That when they try and chance it by not buying a ticket, the kind members of RailUK will give them sufficient advice in order to get away with it.
 

RichJF

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That it's Southern/Southeastern's fault when all the engineering work/signalling at London Bridge went kaput.
 

pemma

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That when they try and chance it by not buying a ticket, the kind members of RailUK will give them sufficient advice in order to get away with it.

To be fair when passengers are used to guards selling the full range of tickets on board, without even being told they should have purchased tickets prior to boarding unless facilities were unavailable, it's not surprising some feel hard done by when the guard doesn't come through and a RPI at their destination station accuses them of fare evasion.
 

Steveman

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Asking a member of staff for advice and assuming what they tell you is accurate.
 

cin88

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Being aggressive towards staff won't get a visit by any present BTP.

Missing a train they have an advance ticket for means they can just get the next one with no penalty.

It's the TOCs/NR's fault if they have failed to plan their journey, it's especially the TOCs/NR's fault when said failure to plan ahead falls on a strike day or major engineering works.
 

Clip

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I find that is rarely the case. Normally the departure gate is only advertised when they want passengers to start to proceed to it (usually 30-60 minutes before departure.) Sometimes at larger terminals the boarding pass gives some of the information e.g. Gate BXX so you know it's in the B series of gates but not which gate.

Had with BA last year when I picked it up at heathrow. Actually I thought it did but now I'm doubting myself lol
 
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