Revenue Block at Preston

[Hellfire]

Tonight I got off the train at Preston, having travelled up from Euston. When I
got outside the new entrance on my way to the car park I was stopped by a lady wearing black who asked to check my ticket. First time this has happened to me in five years of getting off at Preston from a Euston train.

I did have a ticket, as I always do, but my question is this. How far outside a station is it compulsory to have to show a ticket to someone asking for it. And, what would have happened if I had dropped the ticket in the waste bin of the train on exiting?

She wasn't in VT uniform although she did have some sort of ID round her neck. Given that my ticket had been checked at Euston, and again on the train, it seemed a bit over the top.

 

[najaB]

I did have a ticket, as I always do, but my question is this. How far outside a station is it compulsory to have to show a ticket to someone asking for it.

Technically, they can ask for it at any time - on or off railway property.

 

[Hellfire]

Technically, they can ask for it at any time - on or off railway property.

I'm intrigued as to what law covers the right of a railway employee to detain someone off railway property to ask for a ticket.

 

[Darandio]

I'm intrigued as to what law covers the right of a railway employee to detain someone off railway property to ask for a ticket.

But you weren't off railway property, no?

The best advice is always to retain your ticket, don't discard it on the train like the example you gave.

 

[najaB]

I'm intrigued as to what law covers the right of a railway employee to detain someone off railway property to ask for a ticket.

You can ask someone if they have a ticket without detaining them - two different things.

In any case, if necessary BTP have the right to arrest both on and off railway property.

 

[XDM]

Technically, they can ask for it at any time - on or off railway property.

Your ticket can be asked for outside railway property but the railway has no powers to legally demand it & no sanction if you do not offer it up, beyond claiming you have stolen their property, the ticket, which would make us a laughing stock in the media.

 

[headshot119]

Tonight I got off the train at Preston, having travelled up from Euston. When I
got outside the new entrance on my way to the car park I was stopped by a lady wearing black who asked to check my ticket. First time this has happened to me in five years of getting off at Preston from a Euston train.

I did have a ticket, as I always do, but my question is this. How far outside a station is it compulsory to have to show a ticket to someone asking for it. And, what would have happened if I had dropped the ticket in the waste bin of the train on exiting?

She wasn't in VT uniform although she did have some sort of ID round her neck. Given that my ticket had been checked at Euston, and again on the train, it seemed a bit over the top.

Is the new entrance now open? (I've not been to the station for a couple of weeks)

Seems a strange place to do revenue checks. Who was the lady working for, Virgin or Northern? Then again revenue at Preston is always a bit ill planned out.

 

[sheff1]

And, what would have happened if I had dropped the ticket in the waste bin of the train on exiting?

I suspect you would have been in trouble. Never a good idea to dispose of tickets before you have left 'the railway'.

 

[sheff1]

Technically, they can ask for it at any time - on or off railway property.

Of course they can ask. The question though was

How far outside a station is it compulsory to have to show a ticket to someone asking for it.

 

[Elecman]

She would have been out of luck if I was walking between the 2 NR depots either side of the station using the subway then, no ticket ( haven't travelled by train)

 

[najaB]

Of course they can ask. The question though was...

The answer is the same.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Is the new entrance now open? (I've not been to the station for a couple of weeks)

Seems a strange place to do revenue checks. Who was the lady working for, Virgin or Northern? Then again revenue at Preston is always a bit ill planned out.

Preston isn't well-arranged for revenue at all. I have wondered if the new entrance will result in the bridge entrance being closed, meaning they could barrier it properly (new entrance + old main entrance by the ticket office) but it would be a bit out of the way for the Fishergate Centre.

You could I suppose put two gates just outside the Fishergate Centre access and have it for ticket holders only. You arguably wouldn't need a wide gate as it is not wheelchair accessible, and going round wouldn't be a massive problem if you had a bicycle.

 

[Bertie the bus]

She wasn't in VT uniform although she did have some sort of ID round her neck. Given that my ticket had been checked at Euston, and again on the train, it seemed a bit over the top.

Were you wearing an I Love London t-shirt and a hat with the tube map on which showed you'd travelled from London? WCML trains stop at other stations en-route to Preston and how, precicely, was she to know you'd got off the London train when she was stood by the new entrance?

I really don't understand people who moan about having to show their ticket. It takes all of, oh I don't know, 2 seconds.

 

[sheff1]

The answer is the same.

The answer of "at any time" does not answer the question of "how far".

Unless you are suggesting it compulsory to show a ticket to someone who asks for it, say, 20 miles from the station, 3 days after you have travelled which is, of course, absurd.

 

[Merseysider]

how, precicely, was she to know you'd got off the London train when she was stood by the new entrance?

I really don't understand people who moan about having to show their ticket. It takes all of, oh I don't know, 2 seconds.

how, precisely, was she to know he'd travelled at all when she was stood by the new entrance?

A not-significant number of people will be meeting friends, family etc off a train. If my previous experience with Virgin/Northern is anything to go by, one might be accused of lying. And are they going to check CCTV every time a suspected fare dodger says they haven't travelled, but were just inside to collect tickets/see someone off?

Which is precisely why ticket checks should occur inside stations and not outside.

I personally would have ignored her and walked past. Not out of spite, but out of instinct, due to the sheer number of beggars accosting people outside my local stations.

 

[Bertie the bus]

People meeting people off the train don't park in the multi-story carpark.

As for the rest, you make up as many imaginary scenarios as you want, I can't be bothered.

 

[najaB]

The answer of "at any time" does not answer the question of "how far".

Unless you are suggesting it compulsory to show a ticket to someone who asks for it, say, 20 miles from the station, 3 days after you have travelled which is, of course, absurd.

The relevant legislation doesn't place either time or distance limits.

You are correct though that it would be unreasonable to expect a passenger to still have their ticket three days after you've travelled.

 

[MikeWh]

The relevant legislation doesn't place either time or distance limits.

You are correct though that it would be unreasonable to expect a passenger to still have their ticket three days after you've travelled.

So what do you feel is reasonable?

Half an hour after leaving a station? When you get home/your destination?

 

[najaB]

So what do you feel is reasonable?

Half an hour after leaving a station? When you get home/your destination?

Personally I think until you leave railway property- but I neither draft legislation, nor interpret it in Court so that counts for nothing.

 

[tsr]

Personally I think until you leave railway property- but I neither draft legislation, nor interpret it in Court so that counts for nothing.

Even that doesn't cover it completely - for example, upon arrival, you might leave the platform and visit a cafe for half an hour to wait for a friend who's running late, and put your ticket in a bin inside there. Subsequently, you could be asked for it in the concourse area whilst walking to meet your friend.

There are many, many stations this could happen at. Some major London termini spring to mind! Or regional hubs like Norwich, where there are shops and cafes pretty close to the barriers, which might be open when you walk past, but with revenue there...

This is all a bit theoretical, and may get a bit silly (perhaps it already has), but I think my point stands!

 

[Hellfire]

Were you wearing an I Love London t-shirt and a hat with the tube map on which showed you'd travelled from London? WCML trains stop at other stations en-route to Preston and how, precicely, was she to know you'd got off the London train when she was stood by the new entrance?

I really don't understand people who moan about having to show their ticket. It takes all of, oh I don't know, 2 seconds.

I wasn't moaning. Just asking

 

[Hellfire]

Is the new entrance now open? (I've not been to the station for a couple of weeks)

Seems a strange place to do revenue checks. Who was the lady working for, Virgin or Northern? Then again revenue at Preston is always a bit ill planned out.

I don't think she was VT, she wasn't in red. She was dressed in black but had no insignia on her uniform, just an ID card on a lanyard. I couldn't read that.

 

[30907]

Is the new entrance now open? (I've not been to the station for a couple of weeks) Seems a strange place to do revenue checks.

Immediately outside the new building seems quite sensible to me (I haven't seen inside). A block on Platform 7 would be very obvious (and remember, in the evening the block is mostly for local passengers), and if there are ticketing facilities in the building it also needs to be out of sight of them!

 

[headshot119]

I don't think she was VT, she wasn't in red. She was dressed in black but had no insignia on her uniform, just an ID card on a lanyard. I couldn't read that.

There's a lot of I'm guessing temps or agency staff working for VT at Preston at the moment.

Think the best I've had from them was telling me I couldn't use an Anytime Day Return at 17:30 on a Friday night. I asked what ticket I needed and was told an Anytime - "Not the day one". :roll:

Immediately outside the new building seems quite sensible to me (I haven't seen inside). A block on Platform 7 would be very obvious (and remember, in the evening the block is mostly for local passengers), and if there are ticketing facilities in the building it also needs to be out of sight of them!

They could do with being consistent with the revenue blocks though, don't block the ramp down to 3 and 4 from the ticket office, then leave the subway wide open! Just one example.

 

[30907]

They could do with being consistent with the revenue blocks though, don't block the ramp down to 3 and 4 from the ticket office, then leave the subway wide open! Just one example.

I think they are basically out to get the very occasional ticketless passenger arriving on 1 and 2 who knows they will be checked on the footbridge.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

The answer of "at any time" does not answer the question of "how far".

Unless you are suggesting it compulsory to show a ticket to someone who asks for it, say, 20 miles from the station, 3 days after you have travelled which is, of course, absurd.

There is no stated time or distance for which a ticket must be shown, only a restriction on who can ask for it, but realistically you will either be on railway property having just travelled, or very close to it.

Remember that the ticket still belongs to the railway and they can ask for it back unless you have good reason to keep hold of it (Delay Repay for example). A ticket is not a receipt for expenses claims.

 

[Clip]

The answer of "at any time" does not answer the question of "how far".

Unless you are suggesting it compulsory to show a ticket to someone who asks for it, say, 20 miles from the station, 3 days after you have travelled which is, of course, absurd.

najaB is right though - the answer is still the same. You can ask anyone anything at anytime you like but that doesnt compel you to do so.

 

[Elecman]

People meeting people off the train don't park in the multi-story carpark.

As for the rest, you make up as many imaginary scenarios as you want, I can't be bothered.

But they could well be parked in the short wait immediatley outside the new building though

 

[Elecman]

There's a lot of I'm guessing temps or agency staff working for VT at Preston at the moment.

They could do with being consistent with the revenue blocks though, don't block the ramp down to 3 and 4 from the ticket office, then leave the subway wide open! Just one example.

Hey do block the subway on plat 3/4 and 5/6 quite often especially in the mornings and more recently using the temps during more of the day