Thames Branches Day Ranger

[nat67]

I have been using the Thames & branches for ages and very time I try to get through the barriers at London Paddington it doesn't go through the barriers. For a while until last Saturday it wouldn't go through Reading station barriers either. It came as a shock that all three of us got through without it rejecting are perfectly legitimate ticket's.

What doesn't help is that all the station staff who are completely useless don't know what ticket it is and that its valid there. And if you are going for HST's which there wont be for much longer they seem to struggle to notice that you are going through the barriers all day and not recognise you and look at the tickets to say and take there time over it to see what it says.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Rovers are very difficult to code for in the gatelines as the origin shows as the issuing station and there is not a valid destination station.

 

[Darandio]

What doesn't help is that all the station staff who are completely useless don't know what ticket it is and that its valid there. And if you are going for HST's which there wont be for much longer they seem to struggle to notice that you are going through the barriers all day and not recognise you and look at the tickets to say and take there time over it to see what it says.

Not sure i've understood this, but i'll try anyway.

You are rushing to get HST's because they won't be there much longer and because the barrier doesn't recognise the ticket you are annoyed because staff hold you up to check the ticket? Compounded even further because they didn't recognise you? Are you really expecting them to recognise you considering they see thousands upon thousands of different people every day?

 

[nat67]

Are you really expecting them to recognise you considering they see thousands upon thousands of different people every day?

If you see the same staff at least six times in one day and look different to others and have a ticket that you have to keep saying 'it doesn't work through these barriers' how can they not recognise you after a while.

 

[mallard]

The really annoying thing about travelling with a ranger/rover is the amount of staff that will insist you put the ticket through the barrier, even when you know full well it's not going to work. Especially for rovers with date boxes, which cannot possibly work through a barrier.

Then of course, they'll look at it, um and ah for a second, call their supervisor or even a BTP officer before accepting it. Always difficult with tight connections.

 

[mattdickinson]

Can't the first two digits of the ticket type be used (as encoded on the magnetic strip) or would there be too many clashes of codes?

 

[jon0844]

If you see the same staff at least six times in one day and look different to others and have a ticket that you have to keep saying 'it doesn't work through these barriers' how can they not recognise you after a while.

I guess it depends on how different you look, or think you look. Also I assume there is more than one staff member and they work shifts so surely you notice if they are different because it seems unlikely it's always the same person?

 

[Hadders]

Bit of a 1st world problem, in my opinion. Far more urgent things to fix on the railway first.

 

[Haywain]

Can't the first two digits of the ticket type be used (as encoded on the magnetic strip) or would there be too many clashes of codes?

No, because essentially all rovers and rangers share the same two letter code. That is the huge problem for allowing them, particularly with Cubic gates.

 

[dmncf]

I can see why 'nat67' is frustrated by being delayed unnecessarily by ticket gates. 'wallsendmag' has helpfully explained that rover tickets are very difficult to code for ticket gates. Therefore whatever coding is used will be a compromise. It's disappointing that GWR has chosen to code the ranger ticket in a way that errs on the side of revenue protection and delays the customer, rather than in a way that just lets the customer through (like a gate pass). It isn't nice, when you've paid your money, to be continually treated with suspicion.

 

[Haywain]

I can see why 'nat67' is frustrated by being delayed unnecessarily by ticket gates. 'wallsendmag' has helpfully explained that rover tickets are very difficult to code for ticket gates. Therefore whatever coding is used will be a compromise. It's disappointing that GWR has chosen to code the ranger ticket in a way that errs on the side of revenue protection and delays the customer, rather than in a way that just lets the customer through (like a gate pass). It isn't nice, when you've paid your money, to be continually treated with suspicion.

Sorry, but GWR had only the choice of allowing all rovers or none. They have made the sensible and pragmatic choice for a minority product.

 

[Clip]

The really annoying thing about travelling with a ranger/rover is the amount of staff that will insist you put the ticket through the barrier, even when you know full well it's not going to work. Especially for rovers with date boxes, which cannot possibly work through a barrier.

Then of course, they'll look at it, um and ah for a second, call their supervisor or even a BTP officer before accepting it. Always difficult with tight connections.

Thats the whole point of ticket gates and why they should be used first so that staff can see an error code if needs be.

you can easily print up a decent ticket nowadays at home but without anyhing on the mag stripe how can they check?

 

[nat67]

I guess it depends on how different you look, or think you look. Also I assume there is more than one staff member and they work shifts so surely you notice if they are different because it seems unlikely it's always the same person?

Well I do it with two other people, one normally were's a Kilt and the other a blue BR logo T-shirt. It clearly points us out as a threesome.

 

[Haywain]

Well I do it with two other people, one normally were's a Kilt and the other a blue BR logo T-shirt. It clearly points us out as a threesome.

You clearly overrate how much you stand out. The barrier staff at Paddington will see thousands of people during a shift of, maybe, 7-8 hours while you will see perhaps less than a dozen barrier staff in the same period. The interactions will be much more memorable to you than they will be to them.

 

[nat67]

You clearly overrate how much you stand out. The barrier staff at Paddington will see thousands of people during a shift of, maybe, 7-8 hours while you will see perhaps less than a dozen barrier staff in the same period. The interactions will be much more memorable to you than they will be to them.

Not overrate I know someone who is worse than that at Rugby station who flaps over some 37's about 5 years ago. I get were you are coming from but you just have to get on with the rover and not loose your rag with the (norm's) station staff.

 

[Kite159]

So basically you are upset that the barrier staff don't automatically know who you are when you are going backwards & forward between Reading & Paddington on various HSTs?

To the barrier staff you are just another passenger

 

[mattdickinson]

Sorry, but GWR had only the choice of allowing all rovers or none. They have made the sensible and pragmatic choice for a minority product.

I would have thought that the combination of originating station and ticket type was sufficient to code for one local rover per station gateline.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Remember for flexi rover tickets the approach should be never to allow them to open the gates as the written date will always need verifying

 

[Haywain]

I would have thought that the combination of originating station and ticket type was sufficient to code for one local rover per station gateline.

Trust me, it isn't possible without allowing ALL rover tickets.

 

[A Challenge]

Is it as the 'origin station' is actually issuing station?

 

[Haywain]

Is it as the 'origin station' is actually issuing station?

No, the origin station has to be within the validity area of the rover, but the issuing station doesn't.

 

[_toommm_]

Remember for flexi rover tickets the approach should be never to allow them to open the gates as the written date will always need verifying

Worked with the NE 4-in-8 rover. I presumed it wouldn't for most of my journey but just went on a whim on a quiet day and it worked at Leeds and Newcastle

 

[Darandio]

Worked with the NE 4-in-8 rover. I presumed it wouldn't for most of my journey but just went on a whim on a quiet day and it worked at Leeds and Newcastle

How recent? I did one 6 weeks ago and it didn't work at Newcastle or Darlington, I didn't expect it to as it never had but on both occasions the staff at the barrier insisted I try.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Worked with the NE 4-in-8 rover. I presumed it wouldn't for most of my journey but just went on a whim on a quiet day and it worked at Leeds and Newcastle

That's because the BR/GNER/NXEC/EC/VTEC/LNER team that look after the gates at Newcastle are very experienced.

 

[ashworth]

Remember for flexi rover tickets the approach should be never to allow them to open the gates as the written date will always need verifying

I used an Explore North Wales 4 in 8 Rover a couple of weeks ago and not once in the 4 days that I used it did anyone ask to see that I had filled in the date box. That included on train ticket inspections and the barrier staff at both Shrewsbury and Crewe.

I know the barrier staff situation at Blackpool North has been covered numerous times! Most years I do a 7 Day North West Rover whilst staying with friends near Blackpool. My Rover ticket has never ever been accepted by the barriers at Blackpool North, yet day after day, morning and evening on my outward and return journeys, the staff there insist that I put it through the barrier. Even on my 7th day on the 14th attempt they still won’t listen to me and insist I try it in the barrier. That’s Blackpool North for you!

 

[james60059]

I did a 3-in-7 Heart of England Rover last week(Monday, Thursday and Friday), and I had to show it to barrier staff at Birmingham New Street and Shrewsbury. No problem straight through , if for some reason I missed a connection because of barrier staff I'd just get the next train, or alter my plans slightly.

 

[Haywain]

That's because the BR/GNER/NXEC/EC/VTEC/LNER team that look after the gates at Newcastle are very experienced.

Don't overplay it, I'm favouring the cock-up theory! Rovers were not allowed on the Peterborough gateline because it was all or nothing.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Don't overplay it, I'm favouring the cock-up theory! Rovers were not allowed on the Peterborough gateline because it was all or nothing.

I didn't say it was me lol, Mark fixed the rovers.

 

[_toommm_]

How recent? I did one 6 weeks ago and it didn't work at Newcastle or Darlington, I didn't expect it to as it never had but on both occasions the staff at the barrier insisted I try.

March/April this year.

 

[island]

That's because the BR/GNER/NXEC/EC/VTEC/LNER team that look after the gates at Newcastle are very experienced.

I hope you’ve fixed the problem where all Two Together discounted tickets were blanket rejected with the very confusing message “Ticket not valid at this location, insert a valid ticket or seek assistance”.