• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Fcc doo

Status
Not open for further replies.

387star

On Moderation
Joined
16 Nov 2009
Messages
6,653
Hi

I was wondering why Bedford-Brighton has no conductors. Has this historically been the case since 1988 or whenever Thameslink began?

Are all stations gated?
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Failed Unit

Established Member
Joined
26 Jan 2009
Messages
8,857
Location
Central Belt
Hi

I was wondering why Bedford-Brighton has no conductors. Has this historically been the case since 1988 or whenever Thameslink began?

Are all stations gated?

It was one of the first lines in the uk to get DOO, even before Thameslink. In haven't used the route for a while but many were not gated about 5 years ago outside the central zone.
 

tsr

Established Member
Joined
15 Nov 2011
Messages
7,400
Location
Between the parallel lines
Hi

I was wondering why Bedford-Brighton has no conductors. Has this historically been the case since 1988 or whenever Thameslink began?

Are all stations gated?

By "gated", are you referring to automatic ticket barriers? If so, the answer to that question is "no". There are several stations with partial barriers and some with no barriers at all. I seem to recall that Flitwick, to take one example, has no barriers for at least some if not all of the entrances.

(As you will be aware, conductors and RPIs (Revenue Protection Inspectors) are not the same thing. RPIs do feature on First Capital Connect trains and stations, and the enforcement that they undertake (as also backed up by specialist offices) is known to be strict, and in some cases has been deemed to possibly be excessive. I primarily write this for anyone reading this thread who thinks that a lack of conductors and barriers might be a fun opportunity to test fare evasion!)

If, however, by "gated", you are asking if stations are closed to users after opening hours (extended as they may be), then no, I don't believe all stations are.
 
Joined
29 Aug 2010
Messages
696
From an operational point of view it doesn't have Conductors because it doesn't need them but F.C.C. do have a particularly vicous breed of on-train ticket inspectors.
 

387star

On Moderation
Joined
16 Nov 2009
Messages
6,653
I take it FCC inspectors are equally intolerant towards Southern passes then?

Yeah I meant automatic gates of all breeds
 

tom3107

Member
Joined
2 Feb 2010
Messages
68
I can only speak for the northern part, but Bedford, Leagrave, Luton, Luton Airport Parkway, Harpenden, St Albans and St Pancras are all gated (Elstree and West Hampstead may be - but i'm not sure as I don't use those stations.)

Flitwick and Harlington have no barriers but have revenue blocks quite frequently at random times - there are no plans to gate these at present.

As for checks on trains they have increased quite a lot over the past year, I frequently have my ticket checked with about 60% of the journeys I have made in the past 2 months being checked. I also generally find the RPI's generally polite and helpful and on quiet services are quite chatty. There is even one who is quite happy to sell extensions to tickets to save you having to get off the train.
 

ChiefPlanner

Established Member
Joined
6 Sep 2011
Messages
7,768
Location
Herts
Moorgate /St Pancras to Bedford was one of the first DOO services in the UK - not helped by union "difficulties" which blacked introduction - way back in the 1980's - for over a year......

In terms of personal security and so on - no major issues - many stations are now gated for much of the day and random on train checks are quite common.
 

b0b

Established Member
Joined
25 Jan 2010
Messages
1,329
Moorgate /St Pancras to Bedford was one of the first DOO services in the UK - not helped by union "difficulties" which blacked introduction - way back in the 1980's - for over a year......

When did the Glasgow surburban lines go DOO? I seem to remember it was around then, if not earlier.
 

Failed Unit

Established Member
Joined
26 Jan 2009
Messages
8,857
Location
Central Belt
As for checks on trains they have increased quite a lot over the past year, I frequently have my ticket checked with about 60% of the journeys I have made in the past 2 months being checked. I also generally find the RPI's generally polite and helpful and on quiet services are quite chatty. There is even one who is quite happy to sell extensions to tickets to save you having to get off the train.

Envy :lol:

I use the Scotrail Edinburgh - Glasgow route a lot, I am lucky in the peaks to get my ticket checked 1 in 10 times (I don't include the barriers as they can't check if the ticket is valid for the journey made)
 

ChiefPlanner

Established Member
Joined
6 Sep 2011
Messages
7,768
Location
Herts
When did the Glasgow surburban lines go DOO? I seem to remember it was around then, if not earlier.

They had an alternative arrangement called the Strathclyde Manning Arrangement around 1988 or so - a revenue person diagrammed for each train , but in his / her absence service could run pure DOO.
 
Joined
6 Mar 2010
Messages
75
I can only speak for the northern part, but Bedford, Leagrave, Luton, Luton Airport Parkway, Harpenden, St Albans and St Pancras are all gated (Elstree and West Hampstead may be - but i'm not sure as I don't use those stations.)

Elstree and West Hamptead are both gated - Elstree for quite some time, and West Hampstead from around the time the new ticket office opened.
 

John Webb

Established Member
Joined
5 Jun 2010
Messages
3,048
Location
St Albans
Moorgate /St Pancras to Bedford was one of the first DOO services in the UK - not helped by union "difficulties" which blacked introduction - way back in the 1980's - for over a year............
The DOO was delayed by the unions not being able to agree matters with BR for a while; it eventually started in October 1983, seventeen months later than originally planned.
 

scotsman

Established Member
Joined
6 Jul 2010
Messages
3,252
They had an alternative arrangement called the Strathclyde Manning Arrangement around 1988 or so - a revenue person diagrammed for each train , but in his / her absence service could run pure DOO.
This agreement remains to this day
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top