Travelling ticket examiners on preserved railways

[railfan99]

Watching the excellent West Somerset Railway railcams, the travelling ticket examiners seem to be quick to open a car door for passengers to alight or board.

In a forthcoming UK tour, I will have a ticket every time I travel on a heritage railway (of course!) but wondered how proficient do you find the TTEs in checking tickets of passengers joining from termini and at every intermediate station?

Do TTEs usually carry a paper fare chart so they know the shorter distance fares, if the preserved railway offers these?

Do all such railways only accept cash if one boards initially at an intermediate unstaffed stataion (such as Doniford Halt on WSR), or do some heritage railways equip TTEs with a portable ticket machine of some type?

I assume almost all TTEs are volunteers not paid staff.

Is it typical for some TTEs on the busier heritage lines to issue a few tickets each trip or do the vast majority of passengers already have one?

 

[Flying Phil]

Hi Railfan
I suspect the TTE/TTIs are all volunteers and their exact roles will vary a bit according to which railway they work on. On the GCR, most of the stations are manned, most of the time when running, so no real need for TTI's to issue tickets as passengers will have already paid (but I know sometimes they have issued tickets). As for their equipment, again I think it would vary, but I am sure cash is still accepted....
Have a great tour!

 

[Taunton]

Surely quite common. I visited Didcot some years ago, when by chance a steam-hauled shuttle to Oxford and back was at the platform ready to go, so just hopped on. Along came a TTE and sold me a ticket straight away - and had an extended chat about the Castle and its running.

 

[railfan99]

Surely quite common. I visited Didcot some years ago, when by chance a steam-hauled shuttle to Oxford and back was at the platform ready to go, so just hopped on. Along came a TTE and sold me a ticket straight away - and had an extended chat about the Castle and its running.

There'd be no doubt the vast majority if not all would be friendly, as public relations would be part of their remit.

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On the GCR, most of the stations are manned, most of the time when running, so no real need for TTI's to issue tickets as passengers will have already paid (but I know sometimes they have issued tickets). As for their equipment, again I think it would vary, but I am sure cash is still accepted....
Have a great tour!

Thank you. As luck would have it, I should be at Great Central Railway on one steam gala day: only knew when looking up the timetables. I assume on those days they even issue platform tickets, as indeed I would if running that railway, as they need the revenue.

My aim is to talk to various TTEs I meet on travels so one learns more. In India in very late 2019, I was on a sleeping car train, and one TTE spoke excellent English: in 20 minutes I learnt a lot, but he and his subordinates had to get off at a crossing loop to join a train back to base. That doesn't usually occur on a preserved UK railway.

It's absolutely amazing that England has so many preserved railways, some of which I've only heard of by reading these threads, as one's eyes glaze over the Heritage Rail Association's site (not the most interesting website).

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[Titfield]

Swanage Railway TTI (Travelling Ticket Inspectors) have been both volunteers and paid staff in previous years. (I dont know this years arrangement).

Passengers are very much encouraged to buy tickets from the ticket offices at Norden, Corfe and Swanage but for Herston Halt and Harmans Cross it is pay the TTI.

 

[P Binnersley]

If paying on the train it is best to have cash available. Not all railways issue card readers to TTI's and data reception can be poor on some lines away from stations.

 

[railfan99]

If paying on the train it is best to have cash available. Not all railways issue card readers to TTI's and data reception can be poor on some lines away from stations.

If TTIs accept cash, do they typically have a float?

 

[STINT47]

On the railways I volunteer at we have TTIs on trains who check and sell tickets but passengers are encouraged and mostly do use the ticket offices before boarding.

If a passenger does however get on without a ticket, usually someone boarding at a station that is unstaffed, the booking office is closed or they arrive at the last minuet they can buy on board.

Our TTIs carry a small float but no card machines due to security of carrying large amounts of cash, poor reception on the card machines and restrictions on what some ofour volunteers can realistically carry. If buying on board we thetefore try to encourage people to have close to the right amount in cash for their fare.

In the event that someone gets on board and only has a debit card or wants change for a £50 note etc the TTI will escort them to a booking office at either end of the line to purchase their tickets. Whilst not ideal it seems the best compromise for this scenario.

I would imagine most other preserved railways operate in a similar way. I've certainly not heard of any charging penalty fates etc.

 

[railfan99]

On the railways I volunteer at we have TTIs on trains who check and sell tickets but passengers are encouraged and mostly do use the ticket offices before boarding.

If a passenger does however get on without a ticket, usually someone boarding at a station that is unstaffed, the booking office is closed or they arrive at the last minuet they can buy on board.

Our TTIs carry a small float but no card machines due to security of carrying large amounts of cash, poor reception on the card machines and restrictions on what some ofour volunteers can realistically carry. If buying on board we thetefore try to encourage people to have close to the right amount in cash for their fare.

In the event that someone gets on board and only has a debit card or wants change for a £50 note etc the TTI will escort them to a booking office at either end of the line to purchase their tickets. Whilst not ideal it seems the best compromise for this scenario.

Which railways are these? Otherwise, great response. Very sensible practices. Last bit is like the Japanese idea of a 'fare adjustment' at end of trip.

 

[John Webb]

.......It's absolutely amazing that England has so many preserved railways, some of which I've only heard of by reading these threads, as one's eyes glaze over the Heritage Rail Association's site (not the most interesting website).

Try http://www.heritage-railways.com/index.php as an alternative to the HRA's website. This site is run by the HRA's former webmaster and is generally reckoned to be a good alternative.

 

[paul1609]

On the railways I volunteer at we have TTIs on trains who check and sell tickets but passengers are encouraged and mostly do use the ticket offices before boarding.

If a passenger does however get on without a ticket, usually someone boarding at a station that is unstaffed, the booking office is closed or they arrive at the last minuet they can buy on board.

Our TTIs carry a small float but no card machines due to security of carrying large amounts of cash, poor reception on the card machines and restrictions on what some ofour volunteers can realistically carry. If buying on board we thetefore try to encourage people to have close to the right amount in cash for their fare.

In the event that someone gets on board and only has a debit card or wants change for a £50 note etc the TTI will escort them to a booking office at either end of the line to purchase their tickets. Whilst not ideal it seems the best compromise for this scenario.

I would imagine most other preserved railways operate in a similar way. I've certainly not heard of any charging penalty fates etc.

Same at the K&ESR the TTIs also collect 1st Class supplements and sell guide books. We have card readers that that the TTIs can take out if they want.

 

[ian1944]

It's absolutely amazing that England has so many preserved railways, some of which I've only heard of by reading these threads, as one's eyes glaze over the Heritage Rail Association's site (not the most interesting website).

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There are quite a few in Scotland and Wales too.

 

[30907]

The KWVR has a TTC (not that they collect tickets) on every loco-hauled service, at least in theory. However, most tickets are sold at stations except to last-minute arrivals (only Ingrow can be left unstaffed), and some days a TTC takes nothing.
Their primary role is ticket checking anyway.

As the system is computerised, they can issue anything that doesn't require a live Internet connection (eg prebooked tickets) or a scanner (members' freebies).
They have a cash float, a card machine and a printer - fortunately the mobile signal is decent most of the way!