How far have you travelled without being asked to show a ticket?

[peteb]

Ticket checks seem a bit random these days. Certainly there's no hard and fast rule as to whether you'll be asked to show your ticket onboard the train, and it's often the case that barriers are open even at major stations.

I took a train from Euston to Birmingham New Street one night earlier this week. Rather unusually there were no staff at the Euston platform barrier so avoided the usual queue then dash for the train. There were no ticket checks on the train, nor exiting New Street. Moor Street barriers were open so no check there. I did eventually get ticket checked just before arriving at Kidderminster, so travelled about 130 miles before being checked.

I had a valid ticket on my phone app, but it occured to me that the lack of ticket checks on major intercity trains and stations might encourage fare Dodgers?

It wasn't that late, departure from London just after 8pm.

How far have you travelled before being asked to produce your ticket?

 

[Narrowgauge725]

Berwick Upon Tweed to Huddersfield on numerous times although since the barriers went up at Huddersfield I need he ticket to get out.

 

[chipbury]

Freshford to Eastleigh day return on 6 different trains.
No ticket check anywhere (I had a ticket!)

 

[SuperLuke2334]

Warrington Bank Quay to Penrith would probably be my longest.

 

[Whistler40145]

Manchester Piccadilly to Blackpool North

 

[rg177]

A few months back I did Euston - Crewe - Stockport then back down to Congleton.

No checks at Euston, no check on LNWR or Transport for Wales, then within minutes of boarding the Northern service to Congleton I was checked...

I have definitely done Kings Cross to Newcastle without a check before. Usually when the TM does a long, threatening announcement about putting you in the stocks if you have the wrong ticket, then they never show their face!

 

[YorksLad12]

Leeds to London, about 15 years ago. I'd boarded at Leeds and decided to upgrade. No-one came to check my ticket, so free upgrade for me!

The smoke in the kitchen causing us to detrain at Wakefield might have been the reason why...

 

[YorkRailFan]

York to London King's Cross, was a nonstop LNER service but there were ticket barriers in force at KGX.

 

[Finfanero]

I did a Coast & Peaks Rover in February 2024 and it only got check once in 4 days.

Plenty of Free Travel to be Hand !

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Crewe to Glasgow, but back in 2000. I had a series of tickets (what we now call split ticketing) including an Advance for that leg but missed the connection at Crewe. I spent the whole journey nervously awaiting a ticket inspection and rehearsing my story. Nowadays validity following a missed connection on split tickets is more clearly defined (and understood by me) but back then I was expressly told by the travel office at Crewe that I would have to buy a new ticket. I didn't and later got compensated for the delay across the whole set of tickets by the TOC that caused me to miss that Crewe connection.

 

[james_the_xv]

Wolverhampton to Cheltenham (Via Smethwick GB & Worcester Foregate Street). Albeit part of a longer journey from Glasgow to Cheltenham but think I only got that ticket checked around Motherwell.

 

[PlatformEdgeVT]

I had a trip where the tickets were only checked as we were coming into Chester on a train from Altrincham. It seems that Northern did this as it was a Race Day in Chester.

 

[cool110]

On a regular basis from Chester Road to Preston on Sunday evenings, changing at New Street and Crewe.

 

[Chriso]

Plenty of West Country and North West to London trips. LNWR from 18:00 southbound on the Trent valley in the evening appears to be pretty bad for ticket checks with the guard rarely bothering in my experience

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

Did Southall to Bath Spa and back earlier this month without any on board checks. Only the barriers at Southall in the morning led to the tickets coming out of my pocket.

 

[sjoh]

Euston to Aberystwyth. Although in fairness I was asleep for most of the journey so perhaps the TM took pity on me and let me slumber.

 

[Iskra]

Last night I did Manchester Airport to Sheffield without a check, although I was sat in the lead unit where the guard couldn't physically get to me on both occasions (as per my reservation on the TP service).

I've also done some ECML services where I've got to Yorkshire from London without a check.

 

[168lover]

High Wycombe to Leamington Spa to Coventry to Oxenholme Lake District all without a check

 

[Kite159]

Plenty of West Country and North West to London trips. LNWR from 18:00 southbound on the Trent valley in the evening appears to be pretty bad for ticket checks with the guard rarely bothering in my experience

LNR on the Trent Valley and in my experience it is very rare to get the guard popping out to do revenue.

I've lost count how many times I've done London Euston to Crewe (or vice versa) without a check, normally leaving from a barrier free platform at Euston and the barriers at Crewe are normally opened after 10pm (if not before).

 

[Chriso]

It appears Stafford is a fare evasion hotspot which is annoying as it appears so easy to gate.

 

[LWTrailfan2004]

Ticket checks seem a bit random these days. Certainly there's no hard and fast rule as to whether you'll be asked to show your ticket onboard the train, and it's often the case that barriers are open even at major stations.

I took a train from Euston to Birmingham New Street one night earlier this week. Rather unusually there were no staff at the Euston platform barrier so avoided the usual queue then dash for the train. There were no ticket checks on the train, nor exiting New Street. Moor Street barriers were open so no check there. I did eventually get ticket checked just before arriving at Kidderminster, so travelled about 130 miles before being checked.

I had a valid ticket on my phone app, but it occured to me that the lack of ticket checks on major intercity trains and stations might encourage fare Dodgers?

It wasn't that late, departure from London just after 8pm.

How far have you travelled before being asked to produce your ticket?

Was during a customer traineeship with GA + Central Training Group, so was wearing my best rendition of the outfit (smart black trousers and shoes + maroon jumper). Didn't have anyone check my ticket/pass between NRW and SRA

 

[Acey]

Euston to Crianlarich on the overnight service in 1985 !

 

[D1537]

Longest recent one was probably Newark to Dundee (with a change from LNER to a Scotrail HST at Edinburgh). Unusual, actually, because LNER normally check between Newcastle and Edinburgh.

This year I have also taken a specific early morning train into London (around 80 miles) multiple times and (a) haven't had to show at the barrier because it's fixed open as it's too early for it to be manned (b) have never been checked on the train, and (c) that particular terminus doesn't do outgoing checks.

 

[fairysdad]

Exeter to London on many occasions, on both GWR and SWT (as was) routes.

 

[Fermiboson]

Wakefield to Oxford, both via London and via Birmingham, on many many occasions. LNER don’t like to check tickets especially on the 19xxs.

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

I seem to remember a journey travelling from Liverpool Lime Street to London Road (Guildford) one evening without once being asked for my ticket.

Boarded at one of the ungated platforms at Liverpool Lime Street, no onboard ticket check (nor even any announcements and/or visible presence from the guard) all the way to Watford Junction.

Then onto a Southern service to Clapham Junction - onboard, there was a guard / OBS / whatever they're called on that line, but again, no ticket check.

Finally onto a South Western Railway service which may very well have been worked by a non-commercial guard - again, no ticket check.

Ended the journey at London Road which is ungated.

 

[dodecahedron67]

Selby to Kings X probably longest, but I think I’ve not shown my ticket more than have over the past decade of near daily train travel across various bits of the country

 

[Lemmy99uk]

Perth to London Euston on a sleeper. Grabbed a compartment to myself with the intention of getting off at Carlisle but fell asleep.

Some time later I woke up as the train was passing Watford Junction, which was slightly worrying as I was on a Scottish rover.

 

[IslandDweller]

Euston to Glasgow. More than once on that route too

 

[Parallel]

Westbury to Stoke-on-Trent via Birmingham.