They'd have to have got on at somewhere like Watford West...
They'd have to be doing very well to get on there!
(At the very least, if they gave Watford West as an origin when questioned you'd know they were fibbing)
They'd have to have got on at somewhere like Watford West...
I travel from Tunbridge Wells to London quite frequently and I see ticket inspectors on the trains EVERY single time.
On Southern my ticket is checked on average twice a week in to London, invariably before Edenbridge. I can only recall one occasion in when it has been checked between East Croydon and London Bridge, and I cant recall the last time we had a ticket check on the way home, or rather not on a peak hour service. Regularly gets checked on a day time journey home.
These trains have commercial Guards, but most seem remain in the back cab (between Watford Jn and Euston) in my experience*.
Annoying - get on a 507 bus in London and watch those who do not swipe in and (in some respects) meet the stereotypes. Bendy-buses were "free rides"
ScotRail seem to get by with both barriers and on train checks.
I can count the number of Southern trains I haven't been checked on one hand. But then again I travel the entirety of two long services, so I have no chance of missing one!I have never had my ticket checked on Southern for the last 6 months or so
There will always be some staff who do this but I think that's an exception rather than standard practice at Scotrail. I've heard of several incidents of people have their tickets rejected by either gateline or on-train staff (even when conforming to the itinerary provided).... a simple orange ticket will be fine from staff and accepted by staff at the gateline to let you through:roll:
I have never had my ticket checked on Southern for the last 6 months or so
In my experience it's the same for London Midland in the West Midlands area, on the Cross City line. The trains carry commercial guards from what I can tell, but I've only ever seen them check (and sell) tickets outside the Centro PTE area. Inside that area (most of the route), there aren't many barriers but I have seen occasional roving inspectors, presumably with the ability to issue PFs.
Was checked onboard a Jubilee line train last year but apart from that I haven't been checked onboard an LU train for years.
Well the tube has a pretty good system for it. First off, in most places it's impossible to even get on the network without going through a ticket barrier in the first place. A bigger worry might be incorrect routing, but it assumes you went the expensive way unless you touch in elsewhere.
I suppose in principle one could get off a c2c train at West Ham, use the Jubilee Line to Bond Street, get on the Central to Ealing Broadway and get on an FGW train while totally avoiding ticket inspection, but it seems an unlikely activity.
All of them? I'm surprised that there are TOCs that don't make use of plain-clothes inspectors - LU (and London Buses) do very successfully!LO inspectors are in uniform though
LO inspectors are in uniform though
Unlike most stations in London, West Brompton does have barriers.
West Brompton does have barriers, are you thinking of Kensington Olympia which didn't have them until recently?
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How do you know how many passengers don't have the right ticket or no ticket at all?
As others have said there are probably a variety of reasons for the lack of ticket checks not least of all the fact that most stations have barriers although these are by no means foolproof, tailgating other passengers through them is by no means unusual in London.
I have seen a few ticket checks on LO trains but never on LU.
I've seen LO inspectors in plain clothes with badges round their necks... but then l do useO/LU everyday unlike many of those who have been commenting...You could in theory get all the way to Banbury from far east if you wanted too.
I do see the inspectors on LUL though - they normally stop me just as I go through the barriers and theyre always plain clothed so the chances of people telling them from anyone else is slim. LO inspectors are in uniform though
I specifically mean ticket checking at London overgroundstations/terminals. I.e. when the midlands train enters Harrow Wealdstone and goes to London Euston or the London overground from Stratford to Clapham Junction or the Milton Keynes to South/East Croydon stopping at all the London overground stations.
I often take the southwest train from Clapham junction to Epsom and have yet to come across a single ticket inspector. I have also never seen a ticket inspector from harrow Wealdstone to east Croydon or from West Hampstead to Clapham junction.
I'm polish and I've witnessed couple of my own people speaking in Polish saying they have not got a valid ticket. Similarly I have Italian and Spanish friends who have also said the same thing, but obviously overhearing their own spoken languages.
N.B. Indeed, West Brompton has barriers ALTHOUGH it's also got a passage way with NO barriers where people can get on and off the overground platforms quite easily. The barriers are for the underground services.
All of them? I'm surprised that there are TOCs that don't make use of plain-clothes inspectors - LU (and London Buses) do very successfully!
I've seen LO inspectors in plain clothes with badges round their necks... but then l do useO/LU everyday unlike many of those who have been commenting...
Do they? I have never been asked for a ticket on LU and I certainly haven't on the buses for several years, and I use both regularly.
I overheard one on Polish woman who said that she only buys a zones 5-6 to Epsom. She gets on the Piccadilly Line from Hounslow West, a zone 5 station and goes to Clapham Junction and then straight to Epsom via Southwest trains, thereby avoiding zones 2-4.
Her friend asked whether she has ever got caught and she responded by saying she carries an oyster card and if she ever does get caught she will say to the ticket inspector that she tapped in but it accidently didn't process it...but she stated that she has never been checked.
What she is doing is clearly wrong and also shows a flaw in the system. She also said her friend has been caught and fined by the LOROL (London overground rails operations ltd) prosecutions teams but she (her friend) still continues to do it because they don't even record her name on file apparently.
Ive not seen the plain clothes ones yet and I use it pretty frequently but mainly late at night at the southern end of the ELL
Pop south of the river that's where they hide I think
Also there are rail stations in Greater London that still don't have barriers. West Brompton is one example
All of them? I'm surprised that there are TOCs that don't make use of plain-clothes inspectors - LU (and London Buses) do very successfully!
On the cross city, the stops are generally two mins apart and the door controls are either in the cab or in the middle of the train so to do a full ticket check would probably mean delaying the train. After Blake Street or Longbridge, there is more time to do a ticket check and will generally be done then.
Elephant & Castle main-line station does not have ticket barriers. And every time I have to visit the 'Castle, I see RPI's - even on a Saturday.
And I travelled from St Albans to Elephant last Saturday and an RPI boarded at St Albans and was checking tickets en-route to London. And this particular service was a Bedford - Brighton semi that ran fast from St Albans to West Hampstead
I'm also surprised plain clothed inspectors aren't more common on TOCs in the UK. They use them on the buses/trams/underground here in Munich, the system is completely without barriers. The doors close and they present their IDs. I've seen them in various forms, three older ladies with shopping bags, three guys dressed like tourists. Rather amusing!
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This is very true, I have seen checks on other LM services within the Centro PTE area. The Cross City is very "metro like" for the most part.