Long term implications of suspending ticket checks?

[185143]

I had a WMT guard yesterday come through the train on departure from Crewe and ask for my ticket and where I was alighting from her train. Also took the time to give everyone arrival times at their destinations too which was a nice touch.

Heading back on topic, I was on a late(ish) night Northern train last night and a beggar came through the train claiming he was homeless and preaching to people asking for change for a hostel which was apparently located 4 stops in the opposite direction and I doubt there was a train back to it. That's something I've never seen outside of the DOO trains in the South East, (though I've had tissue beggars on SN+SWR trains and also on the Dublin DART) so I do hope that's not starting to spread up here.

 

[Butts]

I had a WMT guard yesterday come through the train on departure from Crewe and ask for my ticket and where I was alighting from her train. Also took the time to give everyone arrival times at their destinations too which was a nice touch.

Heading back on topic, I was on a late(ish) night Northern train last night and a beggar came through the train claiming he was homeless and preaching to people asking for change for a hostel which was apparently located 4 stops in the opposite direction and I doubt there was a train back to it. That's something I've never seen outside of the DOO trains in the South East, (though I've had tissue beggars on SN+SWR trains and also on the Dublin DART) so I do hope that's not starting to spread up here.

Didn't the Guard do anything ?

Have the "Accordion Buskers" or "Tissue Sellers" returned yet?

 

[startingaparty]

The ticket-checkers at the gates of Platform 13/14 at Manchester Piccadilly have returned today.

 

[Class195]

I had my ticket checked when leaving Hull for Leeds on TPE earlier.

 

[Butts]

No checks or sight of the Guard on Scotrail this morning - HYM -FKG

 

[Chriso]

On Saturday I travelled London St Pancras HS1 - Gillingham - Ramsgate and returned Ramsgate - Faversham - Chatham - Gravesend - London St Pancras. On the outbound gates were working at St Pancras and Gillingham but on the return only St Pancras. Did not see any on train staff in any capacity with all gatelines open (not unusual on South Eastern at the best of times)

 

[route101]

The ticket-checkers at the gates of Platform 13/14 at Manchester Piccadilly have returned today.

I caught the 1727 from Platform 14 , no check from main concourse to P14.

 

[ValleyLines142]

The ticket-checkers at the gates of Platform 13/14 at Manchester Piccadilly have returned today.

Hoping that the doors on the main concourse for platforms 8-12 are being manned again. Can't even begin to imagine how bad fare evasion has been so far.

Thankfully, I notice the lift by the Costa in the waiting area by platforms 13/14 has been closed off, but still I think it's possible to go down the travellator to platform 10 and use the elevator from there to exit onto Fairfield Street.

 

[route101]

No checks or sight of the Guard on Scotrail this morning - HYM -FKG

Still no checks on any Scotrail services ive been on so far.

 

[Class195]

Four TPE revenue staff checking tickets before boarding at York this morning.

It's a simple process from what I've seen in that they arrive on the platform ten minutes before departure and just do a mass ticket check.

Obviously, a few people with no tickets looked sheepish before having to pay. Good on TPE for the proactive stance.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Four TPE revenue staff checking tickets before boarding at York this morning.

It's a simple process from what I've seen in that they arrive on the platform ten minutes before departure and just do a mass ticket check.

Obviously, a few people with no tickets looked sheepish before having to pay. Good on TPE for the proactive stance.

York is an unbarriered station. What do they do about trainspotters or other non-passengers?

 

[yorkie]

York is an unbarriered station. What do they do about trainspotters or other non-passengers?

They generally just check the entrance to Platform 4

 

[Class195]

Yeah, they appear to be letting the spotters onto the platforms at York and Doncaster from my observations.

 

[TheGarner]

Manchester Piccadilly have manned ticket checks again where they check tickets/scan smart cards etc.

 

[800001]

They generally just check the entrance to Platform 4

They have Lner and TPE staff located at main entrance opposite Wh Smith and also near The Tap pub, anyone who wants to spot is waved on through, no issue

 

[yorksrob]

They have Lner and TPE staff located at main entrance opposite Wh Smith and also near The Tap pub, anyone who wants to spot is waved on through, no issue

Just need to get The Tap staff back in and working now !

 

[yorkie]

Manchester Piccadilly have manned ticket checks again where they check tickets/scan smart cards etc.

I've had checks at MAN throughout the past few weeks; indeed my first trip with another person post-lockdown saw our tickets checked at MAN and Hadfield!

Just need to get The Tap staff back in and working now !

I will post in appropriate thread as soon as I hear anything (not this one!!)

They have Lner and TPE staff located at main entrance opposite Wh Smith ....

I saw someone there once, as I was going to the ticket office (you have to go out to go back in!); they were asking people if they had travelled, but of course that isn't going to catch anyone out. If they want to check everyone at York, and know who actually did or didn't get on a train they'd need a huge number of people and would need to erect temporary barriers. I've only ever seen that happen during York races and requires a huge effort. Presumably they'd give some sort of pass to people just passing through, and of course they have to let anyone through if there is a GC service due.

 

[Unstoppable]

No ticket checks yesterday on the SR both DOO and Conductor services, EMR, Northern, LNER or Avante West Coast. Standard gateline checks at Liverpool but not Preston, Sheffield or Doncaster. Glasgow Central had the Train Manager and another member of staff checking tickets before departure. ScotRail DOO services still have Ticket Examiners onboard who are sitting for duration of the journey occupying a seat which passengers could use especially as many services during busy periods have been 3 car vice 6 recently (no presence shown throughout by this member of staff on any service) this has been the case for quite some time. Surely these staff could be on the Furlough scheme saving the company money and preventing such a high fare increase to benefit the Customer?

 

[yorkie]

ScotRail DOO services still have Ticket Examiners onboard who are sitting for duration of the journey (no presence shown throughout) this has been the case for quite some time. Surely these staff could be on the Furlough scheme saving the company money and preventing such a high fare increase to benefit the Customer?

It's ultimately all paid for by taxpayers at the moment so there is no point. It's better to have them on the trains in my opinion, than sat at home doing nothing just to save the taxpayer 20% of their wages. A staff presence is still useful, in my opinion (and when things are "normal" these guys do an absolutely fantastic job)

 

[yorksrob]

I must admit, although I've not had a ticket check on the trains since I've started using the trains again, ticket checks at main stations have been more or less the same as pre-lockdown, with the exception perhaps of Preston, where the ticket checkers on the footbridge haven't been there.

 

[CHESHIRECAT]

6 Northern revenue staff at Wilmslow today! Exceeds the number of passengers getting off each train !

 

[lyndhurst25]

I had my ticket checked on a Merseyrail train this week, not by a guard but by a pair of travelling "enforcement officers" or whatever they're calling themselves. He had a good long stare at my ticket: as to why, the only reason I can think of is that he didn't know where my destination, Colne, is. Likewise, buying the ticket at a Merseyrail station, they've usually never heard if the place and I have to spell it out. This week I got "Cologne, that's in Germany!".

 

[tornado]

I don't really get the mentality of "normal" people who won't pay just because they can get away with it.

As you go through life you should be doing the right thing whether somebody is checking or not. Isn't that just basic moral standards?

 

[jon0844]

I don't really get the mentality of "normal" people who won't pay just because they can get away with it.

As you go through life you should be doing the right thing whether somebody is checking or not. Isn't that just basic moral standards?

Reminds me of this....

The 'Shopping Cart Theory' supposedly determines who is a good person and who isn't
The viral "Shopping Cart Theory" proposes that an individual's moral character can be determined by whether they choose to return a shopping cart to its designated spot or not.

The 'shopping cart theory' supposedly determines who is a good person and who isn't

The viral 'shopping cart theory' proposes that an individual's moral character can be determined by whether they choose to return a shopping cart to its designated spot or not.

scoop.upworthy.com

 

[Class195]

Heavy Northern presence at Shipley again.

 

[matt_world2004]

Ticket checkers on TfL rail. Although pulling people at random. Enforcing facemask rule too

 

[LowLevel]

EMR on board ticket checks resuming on a trial basis.

 

[Class195]

EMR on board ticket checks resuming on a trial basis.

I wonder if Northern will follow suit? I only discovered earlier today that you can now leave and enter Leeds station without going through the main barriers.

My train had terminated just past the barriers on platform eight and we were stopped from heading back along the platform and instead told to use the exit on the left just before platform seven.

No ticket checks took place.

 

[mmh]

I don't really get the mentality of "normal" people who won't pay just because they can get away with it.

As you go through life you should be doing the right thing whether somebody is checking or not. Isn't that just basic moral standards?

My local station is unstaffed. As a result if there's no ticket check on the train, or if it's a rail replacement bus, nothing is paid. Not a case of "getting away with" anything, or anything to do with morals.

 

[CrispyUK]

My local station is unstaffed. As a result if there's no ticket check on the train, or if it's a rail replacement bus, nothing is paid. Not a case of "getting away with" anything, or anything to do with morals.

It depends, if the destination station has no barriers/checks, but there is an open and staffed ticket office, then you have two options:

1. Leave the station without buying a ticket, because there is nothing stopping you and you can get away with it, or
2. Go to the ticket office and purchase a ticket for the journey you have just made, because it’s the right/moral thing to do.

Of course if the destination is not staffed (and doesn’t have a ticket machine that can issue tickets from other origin stations), then all you can do is leave without paying, as the railways haven’t given you an opportunity to purchase a ticket for the journey.

Unfortunately, based on some of the threads on here, attempting to take option 2 seems to carry the risk of being passed over to an RPI and incorrectly issued with a penalty fare (or worse).