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ATW Ambiguity

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6Gman

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Noticed two posters offering two subtly different versions of pre-travel ticketing obligations at Chester today:

The first poster basically said that you must have a valid ticket before travel (unless no facilities etc etc), which may be obtained from ticket office, TVM or website [my emphasis]. That raises an interesting question - if I have internet access, but board a train at (say) Roman Bridge, should I have obtained a ticket online before travelling?

The second poster had a similar warning, but listed a different third option: ticket office, TVM or our Revenue Protection staff. Now, doesn't that imply that getting a ticket from an RPI on-train is a recognised option?

All seems a bit of a mess to me!
 
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Chester also has the added confusion of Merseyrail Penalty Fare posters as well.
 

6Gman

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Chester also has the added confusion of Merseyrail Penalty Fare posters as well.

Chester has the added confusion of being Chester! :D


[Let's rebuild the station so every passenger flow obstructs every other passenger flow; we'll put the booking office on the far side of the bookies [easy mistake to make - they sound alike!]; and then we'll make everybody travelling from North Wales to Crewe or London change for most of the day]
 

Tracky

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There is one poster, generic over the company to advise customers that they must purchase a ticket at the FIRST opertunity. This was produced to support revenue operations and contains full details of any options to buy your ticket. Due to the number of unmanned stations it is carefully worded to show that if the First opertunity may be 'on the train' or 'from 'other rail retail staff'. It doesnt say you must or should buy online. It offers it as an option and an opertunity to advertise the online service along with the telesales service.

There is then a locally designed poster with specific details of Booking office opening hours and ticket vending machines.

Also as pointed out, there is the standard 'Penalty Fare Warning' which must be shown to allow Merseyrail to operate their PF scheme.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
The generic one is also on the website

RevenueProtectionIMG.jpg


Avoid a fine or prosecution! Buy a ticket before you travel

It is your responsibility to be in possession of a ticket. Before you board you must buy a ticket at the first available opportunity. Tickets are available from:
o Your nearest rail booking office
o Ticket Vending Machines at selected stations.
o On-line at www.buytickets.arrivatrainswales.co.uk
o By phone on 0870 9000 773

If you have not purchased a ticket in advance or there are no facilities to buy at the station where you started the journey, only then should you buy a ticket on the train or from other rail retail staff.

Don’t forget:
Your nearest rail booking office can help you choose the best ticket for your journey. They can also provide travel advice, season tickets and information on money saving offers.
 

Welshman

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Another favourite sport at Chester is to platform the Sunday ATW terminators arriving from Manchester into 7a, while the connecting service to North Wales leaves 4 or 5 minutes or so later from 3b - they couldn't be further apart! - then stand back and watch the mad dash! Good game, good game. More annoyingly, 3a is often vacant.
 

LNW-GW Joint

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Another favourite sport at Chester is to platform the Sunday ATW terminators arriving from Manchester into 7a, while the connecting service to North Wales leaves 4 or 5 minutes or so later from 3b - they couldn't be further apart! - then stand back and watch the mad dash! Good game, good game. More annoyingly, 3a is often vacant.

It's the same from London/Crewe to join Merseyrail - P1-P7b.
Aty least now there's only 15 mins to wait for the next...

When VT are coupling up their terminator, park it in 3a and watch the scrum of leavers/joiners/changers, then quietly roll in the empty 2nd unit and join up.
In fairness, they do open up again before departure, but by then everybody has sat down in the first unit...

On tickets, I've always found Arriva very accomodating about buying on board, even if the station booking office was open.
 

Sheridan

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Another favourite sport at Chester is to platform the Sunday ATW terminators arriving from Manchester into 7a, while the connecting service to North Wales leaves 4 or 5 minutes or so later from 3b - they couldn't be further apart! - then stand back and watch the mad dash! Good game, good game. More annoyingly, 3a is often vacant.

3b is better than 3a in the sense that if you pile down the stairs you can carry straight on to 3b rather than having to double back on yourself.

On a Sunday I often get the 1705 from Wrexham Gen to Chester, which is supposed to arrive at 1726 but is often a couple of minutes late, resulting in a mad dash to get the 1730 Merseyrail service - platform 2 to 7b.
 

Tracky

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Chester has a big problem with capacity. At the Crewe end the layout is very inflexible. Day to day if the xx:55 Llandudno train is late in from Manchester it can knock a delay onto the xx:55 Crewe as there is a short section of single line linking Crewe and Manchester to the downside of the station.

The Manchester trains now run up 7A to avoid a conflict with the Llandudno trains if they are late but they now need the mersey to be on time to clear 7B.

On a Sunday it is not ideal. The trains in from Manchester layover for 40+ mins so 3A wouldnt always be practical due to other trains needing the platforms. There are also lots of changes to booked workings to allow for units to be moved around the Network - for this, 3A and B become very useful.

Also to play the devil I would comment that the connection off the 1705 from Wrexham is the 1800 Mersey as connections should allow 5 mins at Chester.
 

headshot119

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Chester has a big problem with capacity. At the Crewe end the layout is very inflexible. Day to day if the xx:55 Llandudno train is late in from Manchester it can knock a delay onto the xx:55 Crewe as there is a short section of single line linking Crewe and Manchester to the downside of the station.

The Manchester trains now run up 7A to avoid a conflict with the Llandudno trains if they are late but they now need the mersey to be on time to clear 7B.

On a Sunday it is not ideal. The trains in from Manchester layover for 40+ mins so 3A wouldnt always be practical due to other trains needing the platforms. There are also lots of changes to booked workings to allow for units to be moved around the Network - for this, 3A and B become very useful.

Also to play the devil I would comment that the connection off the 1705 from Wrexham is the 1800 Mersey as connections should allow 5 mins at Chester.

17:45 surely ?
 

Sheridan

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Chester has a big problem with capacity. At the Crewe end the layout is very inflexible. Day to day if the xx:55 Llandudno train is late in from Manchester it can knock a delay onto the xx:55 Crewe as there is a short section of single line linking Crewe and Manchester to the downside of the station.

The Manchester trains now run up 7A to avoid a conflict with the Llandudno trains if they are late but they now need the mersey to be on time to clear 7B.

On a Sunday it is not ideal. The trains in from Manchester layover for 40+ mins so 3A wouldnt always be practical due to other trains needing the platforms. There are also lots of changes to booked workings to allow for units to be moved around the Network - for this, 3A and B become very useful.

Also to play the devil I would comment that the connection off the 1705 from Wrexham is the 1800 Mersey as connections should allow 5 mins at Chester.

Of course I don't plan my journeys to make the 1730, being aware that 5 minutes is the connection time, and I don't get annoyed if I miss it. But as I know I can do it in under 5 minutes I always give it a go.
 

Welshman

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Chester has a big problem with capacity. At the Crewe end the layout is very inflexible. Day to day if the xx:55 Llandudno train is late in from Manchester it can knock a delay onto the xx:55 Crewe as there is a short section of single line linking Crewe and Manchester to the downside of the station.

The Manchester trains now run up 7A to avoid a conflict with the Llandudno trains if they are late but they now need the mersey to be on time to clear 7B.

On a Sunday it is not ideal. The trains in from Manchester layover for 40+ mins so 3A wouldnt always be practical due to other trains needing the platforms. There are also lots of changes to booked workings to allow for units to be moved around the Network - for this, 3A and B become very useful.

That's helpful. Thank you.
I hadn't realised the Crewe/Manchester end is so inflexible.
I'd also wondered why some Llandudno-Manchesters use 7b when 4 was vacant.
 
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