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Southeastern revenue staff making an appearance

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BluePenguin

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There were 3 men working as revenue staff today on my train alongside the conductor. All were dressed in the usual blue Southeastern uniform that conductors wear rather than the yellow high visibility stuff.

I was on my way to Ramsgate and was surprised to see quite so many of them stood by doors as I stepped onto the train. One checked my ticket and was very friendly and professional. We had a brief chat and he went on his way.

I am curious to know if anyone else has seen them out and about today?

It is very rare I ever see any staff or have my ticket checked, let alone by revenue protection! Looks as though Southeastern have given up on South London routes and decided to focus on targeting fare evaders in Kent instead
 
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ScotGG

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They never have bothered within much of London. Three checks on board in a decade as a daily passenger on DOO services.
 

Antman

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I use Southeastern regularly and I can't remember the last time I saw any revenue staff anywhere on the network. Ticket checks seem to be at the descretion of the guard.
 

Terry Tait

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Southeastern doesn't help itself in that regard, Paddock Wood to Strood has no staff or barriers, Marden has no staff after 13:00 and at Tonbridge people just go out via the side entrance where the barriers are mostly open, Tunbridge Wells down platform one can avoid the barriers by using the lift.
 

87015

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Probably ticketless travel survey time. Always guarantee extra resources sent out on those dates to make the scores look better than they should. Actual revenue staff or others sent out to act as?
 

brad465

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They're surprisingly common at Maidstone East I've thought, morning or evening rush hour, and I once saw them team up with BTP and a sniffer dog at Dartford to do a "big busting evening". Really though that sort of thing needs to be more commonly done as widely talked about in SE criticism on the forum.

Southeastern doesn't help itself in that regard, Paddock Wood to Strood has no staff or barriers, Marden has no staff after 13:00 and at Tonbridge people just go out via the side entrance where the barriers are mostly open, Tunbridge Wells down platform one can avoid the barriers by using the lift.
Yesterday on the MV line there were 2 enforcement officers on board, they didn't check tickets but their presence was enough to see a group of kids on bikes leg it out of Snodland station instead of boarding as they appear to have wanted to.
 
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They will have revenue staff based at depots around the network so I would be surprised if it's at the detriment of their metro routes. A lot of TOCs in the South East seem to employ less and less revenue inspectors though these days and a lot of the time the ones who remain are tasked with targeting the more sophisticated fraud where people will be evading a lot of money which is why I think we see them less and less. Like anything though they will have their hot spots where they will keep targeting as they know they will get results.
 

Horizon22

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Revenue staff patrol line of route and particular stations throughout the day but are also flexible to deal with incidents as needed. This changes on a rolling basis I imagine, but am aware that particular hotspots like Dartford, Tonbridge, Gillingham are aimed at more often.
 

Antman

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Dartford is a significant interchange station so I'd say it's probably relatively easy pickings for a sting.

Surely the ticket gates do the job? Somebody mentioned Maidstone East which seems logical as it's a busy station without ticket gates.
 

rd749249

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3 of them at Gillingham yesterday. Good job too, they were having words with a couple of youths as soon as they stepped off the train, possibly teed-up by the onboard manager.
 

KingJ

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Southeastern doesn't help itself in that regard, Paddock Wood to Strood has no staff or barriers, Marden has no staff after 13:00 and at Tonbridge people just go out via the side entrance where the barriers are mostly open, Tunbridge Wells down platform one can avoid the barriers by using the lift.

On mainline services between Tonbridge and London, I have my ticket checked onboard about 1 in every 10 journeys. Most typically during the peak, but still reasonably often during the day and late at night. When I used to travel on the metro services however, I think I can only recall ever having my ticket checked onboard once.

Tonbridge does have RPI sweeps reasonably often, mostly (but not always!) during the morning peak - catching quite a few schoolkids travelling in to Tonbridge without a ticket. A number of RPI staff were also around tonight on one of the platforms, albeit not actually performing any checks at the time.
 

brad465

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Surely the ticket gates do the job? Somebody mentioned Maidstone East which seems logical as it's a busy station without ticket gates.
I mentioned it earlier, but should add the station is currently undergoing a "slow" redevelopment, where the new concourse planned in place of a currently being demolished pub could, or at least should, have gates, if workable around the rest of the station.
 

jamie_

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They did a sting at Charlton last year, train pulls in, announcement that a full ticket check will be done, cue most of the train getting off and then caught on the platform by an army of Grippers. Train closed doors and headed off with no ticket check done onboard. Very clever I thought.
 

Antman

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I mentioned it earlier, but should add the station is currently undergoing a "slow" redevelopment, where the new concourse planned in place of a currently being demolished pub could, or at least should, have gates, if workable around the rest of the station.

Yes I know the derelict pub that you refer too, it's been fenced off for two years ready for demolition, I'm sure there's some good reason for the delay. The station is certainly busy enough to justify ticket gates.
 

paddington

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They used to often be in evidence at Bromley South for interchanging passengers - but could be avoided by using the back stairs that bypass the main concourse
 

BRX

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I do the journey Denmark hill to swanley a couple of times per month, and on Wednesday this week my ticket was checked for what I think was the first time ever on that journey.
 

hwl

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What are people estimates for % ticketless travel on SE?
Presumably very low into the London Terminals but much higher elsewhere especially off peak? May be 1/3rd in some locations.
 

tsr

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What are people estimates for % ticketless travel on SE?
Presumably very low into the London Terminals but much higher elsewhere especially off peak? May be 1/3rd in some locations.

From extensive experience, including at some stations mentioned above, it can be as bad as 80-100% on some routes off-peak. I’ve been through many a train in rural and suburban Kent and Sussex where nobody’s paid. It’s absurd at the moment in some areas.

London terminals do see a lot of part-payment issues, but most people have paid at least something.
 

hwl

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From extensive experience, including at some stations mentioned above, it can be as bad as 80-100% on some routes off-peak. I’ve been through many a train in rural and suburban Kent and Sussex where nobody’s paid. It’s absurd at the moment in some areas.

London terminals do see a lot of part-payment issues, but most people have paid at least something.
I got out at Blackheath off peak recently and was only 1 of 2 people to tap out... Was just wanting to see if this was typical.
 

ComUtoR

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The number of people tapping out doesn't reflect ticketless travel. Bit difficult to tap out with a paper ticket..
 

hwl

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The number of people tapping out doesn't reflect ticketless travel. Bit difficult to tap out with a paper ticket..
They didn't look they they would have purchased a paper ticket ;) and were unlikely to have done so for CHX/WAE/LBG to Blackheath given Oyster/Contact less usage levels.
 
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