Ticket Inspectors And Railcards

Intercity Guy · 3 Oct 2015

Hello

I am new to this forum so I am not sure what category this falls under.

I normally travel with a railcard and on a large number of occasions when my ticket has been checked ticket inspectors do not ask to see my railcard. This seems to be across all train companies I have used.
The worst time was when I travelled with Arriva Trains Wales between Swansea and Haverfordwest over two days and my tickets were checked five times and I was not asked to produce my railcard once not even by a member of revenue protection.

I would just like to know if anyone else who travels with a Railcard regularly has encountered this on their travels?

RailUK Forums

grumblingalong · 3 Oct 2015

Guards/Inspectors often give up checking them after being called a jobsworth for the 5th time by a "respectful" senior citizen. The tutting and moaning when you ask people to get it is incredible. Good job I'm sadistic.

On another note you should really show your railcard with your ticket so there should be no need for the members of staff to ask.

swt_passenger · 3 Oct 2015

All TOCs I regularly use down here in the south, SWT, XC, SN, GWR, always expect to see the railcard, and ask people who don't present it.

ainsworth74 · 3 Oct 2015

It's gotten to the point now that I don't bother showing it unless they ask for it. It's always immediately available (I tend to take the ticket out of my ticket wallet to hand over for inspection and keep the wallet with my railcard in my other hand) but it is rarely asked for.

It does also seem to vary a bit by TOC. Generally Northern Rail guards never ask to see it whilst CrossCountry and Virgin East Coast always ask to see and TransPennine are variable. But the general trend seems to be not to bother.

Bletchleyite · 3 Oct 2015

Intercity Guy said:
I would just like to know if anyone else who travels with a Railcard regularly has encountered this on their travels?

Yes, in the late 1990s I inadvertently travelled with an out of date Railcard for several weeks before it was noticed (fortunately by the ticket office rather than on board, so I just renewed on the spot).

dorsetman · 3 Oct 2015

Next year ATOC is planning to make Railcards available digitally, as on mobile phones, in addition to plastic versions.

trentside · 3 Oct 2015

grumblingalong said:
Guards/Inspectors often give up checking them after being called a jobsworth for the 5th time by a "respectful" senior citizen. The tutting and moaning when you ask people to get it is incredible. Good job I'm sadistic.

On another note you should really show your railcard with your ticket so there should be no need for the members of staff to ask.

It's funny, you never get the same grumbling from the holders of other types of railcard. It doesn't stop me, but if they start moaning it gets politely pointed out to them that they had to purchase their railcard, it is not an entitlement so it doesn't matter whether or not they look old enough.

On the second point, I agree wholeheartedly - it's one of my biggest annoyances when carrying out ticket checks.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

dorsetman said:
Next year ATOC is planning to make Railcards available digitally, as on mobile phones, in addition to plastic versions.

Interesting. So I'd assume, as with M-Tickets, that a flat battery will remove their ability to show a railcard - just another one to add to the list of excuses as to why they don't have a railcard to present.

Chouette · 3 Oct 2015

trentside said:
It's funny, you never get the same grumbling from the holders of other types of railcard. It doesn't stop me, but if they start moaning it gets politely pointed out to them that they had to purchase their railcard, it is not an en ratitlement so it doesn't matter whether or not they look old enough.

Oh believe me I grumble when I have to juggle my things, a railcard, a debit card/pin machine and still have a hand free for the ticket I've just bought, all on a crowded and moving train... but that's only because I'm incredibly clumsy and all of those things I just listed are expensive or inconvenient to replace :lol:

I stopped being asked for them though once I aged out of a 16-25 and got a disabled one instead. The odd one that does ask seems satisfied if I just point it out in my purse. On a 16-25, they'd insist on having it in their hands and inspecting it very carefully, which did sometimes feel like some sort of personal affront.

222007 · 3 Oct 2015

I always ask to see Railcards as it a part of my job to ensure any discount is correct. I had one person moan that i was asking to see it as the booking office had seen it to which i replied was i person in the booking office who sold you that ticket? The said person was most surprised.

The thing is if you dont want to show the railcard or object to showing it then DONT buy a railcard discounted ticket

Timster83 · 3 Oct 2015

Have got a Two Together railcard and have never been asked to show it in Scotland (where I live).

I was asked to show it to an RPI on a Thameslink train earlier this year as part of an on-train spot check.

Thinking back to my student days (over 10 years ago), I seem to recall that I would proactively offer my 16-25 railcard but it was hit or miss as to whether the Ticket Examiner was really interested in it.

bb21 · 3 Oct 2015

Just keep the ticket and the Railcard in the same ticket wallet, and offer them at the same time. Not a difficult concept, makes everyone's job easier and hardly an inconvenience.

455driver · 3 Oct 2015

ainsworth74 said:
It's gotten to the point now that I don't bother showing it unless they ask for it. It's always immediately available (I tend to take the ticket out of my ticket wallet to hand over for inspection and keep the wallet with my railcard in my other hand) but it is rarely asked for.

You could hold the wallet open so the railcard is visible, just saying like!

PermitToTravel · 3 Oct 2015

I do that. A few times I've had the guard just check the railcard and not look at the tickets

455driver · 3 Oct 2015

bb21 said:
Just keep the ticket and the Railcard in the same ticket wallet, and offer them at the same time. Not a difficult concept, makes everyone's job easier and hardly an inconvenience.

But it seems to be beyond some peoples ability! :lol:

Why should the guard/RPI have to ask to see the railcard anyway, you should be offering it along with the ticket, I assume you all know the ticket isn't valid without the railcard?

ainsworth74 · 3 Oct 2015

455driver said:
You could hold the wallet open so the railcard is visible, just saying like!

To be fair (to myself :lol:

) I do do that as well but it tends to depend on how many things I'm juggling at the same time!

But your point is well taken

BurtonM · 3 Oct 2015

I always keep my Railcard in one hand and ticket in the other, and it's very hit and miss as to whether guards just look at it or take it off me.
I travel with a bike daily, and juggling Railcard, bike, and ticket is frustrating.

Even more so when I'm at Manchester Victoria, where the agency staff are checking tickets on the wide gate all the time because of all the season ticket users that refuse to put their ticket through the gates. :roll:

Kite159 · 3 Oct 2015

I will say I'm asked to show my gold card probably only 10% of the time. Always at hand in my ticket wallet should the member of staff ask.

yorkie · 3 Oct 2015

Intercity Guy said:
I normally travel with a railcard and on a large number of occasions when my ticket has been checked ticket inspectors do not ask to see my railcard....

What type of Railcard is it? Disabled railcards seem to be rarely asked for. Senior Citizens is a mixed bag. 16-25 Railcards will be asked for frequently. My theory is that no-one wants the bad publicity of charging a disabled person for an excess fare or new ticket, and some senior railcard holders can get quite feisty and threaten to go to the media (who may well be interested with an older person but not a younger person). Staff may be instructed to avoid conflicts where possible.

alastair · 3 Oct 2015

swt_passenger said:
All TOCs I regularly use down here in the south, SWT, XC, SN, GWR, always expect to see the railcard, and ask people who don't present it.

Definitely not my experience with SWT(mainly Alton or Guildford to London) or FGW (Reading/Gatwick). In the last 10 trips I have been asked for my (Network)railcard maybe once,and of course there have been many trips with no ticket checks at all. No barrier staff of any TOC have ever wanted to see it either.

PeterY · 3 Oct 2015

I usually keep my ticket and Network South East in one of the free blue plastic wallets. So should I need to show the guard my ticket, they see both.

Welshman · 4 Oct 2015

I usually show my Senior Railcard along with my ticket, and sometimes get a rather surprised "Thank You" from the conductor!

On the other hand, my wife is annoyed at not being asked to show her Senior Card. She doesn't want to appear to look that old!

Tracky · 4 Oct 2015

For me it depends where the ticket came from. There are tell tale signs of Internet retail and ticket vending machines and if the ticket comes from those sources I usually check the railcard. Tickets obtained from booking offices with reliable staff who are known to me, or from on avantix machines are less likely to have issues.

I collect an out of date railcard every week or two on average.

Greenback · 4 Oct 2015

bb21 said:
Just keep the ticket and the Railcard in the same ticket wallet, and offer them at the same time. Not a difficult concept, makes everyone's job easier and hardly an inconvenience.

That is exactly what I do. I pass the tickets over wile holding open the wallet with the Two Together Railcard inside. It's up tot he guard/revenue inspector if they look at it all, and in how much detail if they do look. It's nothing to do with me how they do their job

maniacmartin · 4 Oct 2015

When I had a 16-25, it was almost always asked for. Now I travel on Gold card-discounted tickets, the Gold card isn't asked for much.

RSDude · 4 Oct 2015

Nothing like asking to see senior railcards when I check tickets. The seniors of hampshire/surrey react like you want their soul...

cf111 · 4 Oct 2015

I normally just hand over my railcard with my ticket/reservation.

Bletchleyite · 4 Oct 2015

Chouette said:
On a 16-25, they'd insist on having it in their hands and inspecting it very carefully, which did sometimes feel like some sort of personal affront.

Whyever should it be a personal affront that the guard is doing their job? They are acting to your benefit as a fare-paying passenger in ensuring that those who do not correctly pay are caught, thus meaning you don't have to pay extra on your fares to cover what they are doing by not paying theirs.

extendedpaul · 4 Oct 2015

On HS1 not only do conductors almost always look at railcards but most remove them from the wallet and check that the reverse has been signed too !

gray1404 · 4 Oct 2015

I always show my railcard with my ticket on board the train. If I am going thugh a gateline though and my ticket is rejected at the automatic gate I never bother showing the railcard at the manned gate and have never been asked (but of course it is there to get out if requested.)

I did have a total jobs worth Conductor at Birmingham New Street on board a London Midland service to Euston a few weeks ago come and do a ticket check to selected passengers before the train even departed the station. I showed him my ticket and railcard together but he still asked for my railcard - even though it was there right next to the ticket. He then did another ticket (and railcard) check after depature from Tile Hill this time to all passengers. He also had a trainee Conductor with him who did her own full ticket check after departure from Rugby (said on the PA there had been a crew change - this was a total lie).

Then there was actually a crew change at Northampton and the new guard did yet antother ticket check. Needless to say, myself and other passengers passed comment to each other about all these checks. (did I also mention that I had my ticket checked upon entering the gated area at Birmingham New Street and again when I got off at Euston)

yorkie · 4 Oct 2015

gray1404 said:
... myself and other passengers passed comment to each other about all these checks. (did I also mention that I had my ticket checked upon entering the gated area at Birmingham New Street and again when I got off at Euston)

Someone had probably just written to the Company complaining at the lack of ticket checks (yes some people really do that) so the Company was possibly taking action to address that

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