The latest Northern Rail 'Customer Service + Revenue Protection'

[johntea]

This week I have noticed at the 2 stations I commute to/from in the mornings there is frequently someone stood at the station wearing a fluorescent jacket that says 'Customer Service / Revenue Protection' and what looks to be a Northern Rail badge. Sometimes they seem to check tickets, other times they just stand there and say hello to passengers!

However, I'm concerned that for this exercise Northern have seemingly got one person with no backup for anyone that might get violent, and they didn't seem to have any means by which to sell tickets to those that might require them. (I can think of plenty of journeys in the West Yorkshire area on a morning where you can't buy a ticket at the originating station without a debit/credit card and the conductor will certainly not be able to get down the train!)

So what is going on? Are these people even able to give out unpaid fare notices?

 

[northwichcat]

When I've seen 1 RPI at Knutsford they have stood at the door between the ticket office and the platform. If someone approaches them and doesn't have a ticket (whether they are going to catch a train or have alighted a train) they point them to the ticket office window. They don't sell tickets or give out UFN unless there are more RPIs present. They've been doing that on the west side for a couple of years now, so it sounds like they've just extended the same system to West Yorkshire.

 

[Emyr]

At Knutsford, the TVM is between the RPI and the platform.

 

[northwichcat]

At Knutsford, the TVM is between the RPI and the platform.

It is and it seems to get very little use when RPIs are there - just the odd person using them for TOD.

I should add if the RPI sees you buying a ticket from the ticket office they usually don't ask you to show one when going past them.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

When I've seen 1 RPI at Knutsford they have stood at the door between the ticket office and the platform. If someone approaches them and doesn't have a ticket (whether they are going to catch a train or have alighted a train) they point them to the ticket office window. They don't sell tickets or give out UFN unless there are more RPIs present. They've been doing that on the west side for a couple of years now, so it sounds like they've just extended the same system to West Yorkshire.

Indeed, though with the roll out of "buy before you board" on many lines on the west side, this sort of operation seems to be less common (to me at least). I think some still carry slips of paper for proving where a passenger has boarded the train if the Revenue chap believes it would not be beneficial to delay the passenger by an hour for the sake of a £2 ticket.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

I don't know Northern but perhaps the presence of somebody "official" wearing a badge is a deterrent to anyone who might be planning to not buy a ticket or, just a friendly customer service person willing to give help when needed. Just a thought...

 

[Anvil1984]

The people in those hi viz's are the STM agency staff. The usual Northern inhouse RPAs wear plain purple hi viz or standard Northern uniform if on platform duty. STM took over from G4S and are now network wide unfortunately as Northern staff I am unable to give an opinion

 

[Suraggu]

I don't know Northern but perhaps the presence of somebody "official" wearing a badge is a deterrent to anyone who might be planning to not buy a ticket or, just a friendly customer service person willing to give help when needed. Just a thought...

At stations I have worked at in the past this practice doesn't work, if people don't want to pay they will do their hardest to get through the barriers regardless of the staff prescence.

 

[najaB]

At stations I have worked at in the past this practice doesn't work, if people don't want to pay they will do their hardest to get through the barriers regardless of the staff prescence.

It does make 'it was a mistake, honest Guv' a bit harder to use as an excuse when they are caught though.

 

[alastair]

However, I'm concerned that for this exercise Northern have seemingly got one person with no backup for anyone that might get violent,

Are things really so bad in the badlands of W Yorks that no rail employee should be working on his/her own? That is what you seem to be saying?

 

[talltim]

The people in those hi viz's are the STM agency staff. The usual Northern inhouse RPAs wear plain purple hi viz or standard Northern uniform if on platform duty. STM took over from G4S and are now network wide unfortunately as Northern staff I am unable to give an opinion

I think you did anyway!

 

[Deerfold]

Are things really so bad in the badlands of W Yorks that no rail employee should be working on his/her own? That is what you seem to be saying?

There's parts of West Yorkshire like that.

There are trains in West Yorkshire that still do not run on a Friday and/or Saturday only or miss out stops on those days due to the amount of trouble there was on them.

More on topic I was surprised to have my ticket checked at approx 0630 when changing platforms at Shipley last week - that's a first in 6 years (delayed me slightly as my ticket wasn't handy, but didn't cause me to miss my train).

 

[Oswyntail]

Yesterday afternoon, welcoming a train arriving at about 15:00 was a cordon of half a dozen large young men in yellow fluorescent jackets. "Tickets and passes, please". To which one bruiser brushed past them saying "I haven't f*****g" got one", and ran off the station, to amusingly gobsmacked expressions.
Three questions:

1. Under the "rules of engagement", would one at least of the cordon be expected to pursue the gentleman into the badlands of Ilkley?
2. Would he have any powers outside the station area, however that is defined?
3. Is there, perhaps, an instruction to avoid confrontations that might lead to violence?

 

[Tibbs]

Yesterday afternoon, welcoming a train arriving at about 15:00 was a cordon of half a dozen large young men in yellow fluorescent jackets. "Tickets and passes, please". To which one bruiser brushed past them saying "I haven't f*****g" got one", and ran off the station, to amusingly gobsmacked expressions.
Three questions:

1. Under the "rules of engagement", would one at least of the cordon be expected to pursue the gentleman into the badlands of Ilkley?
2. Would he have any powers outside the station area, however that is defined?
3. Is there, perhaps, an instruction to avoid confrontations that might lead to violence?

One would imagine that they have instructions not to pursue. I live near a gated station and all the ticket inspectors there do is shout 'Hey!' as the double-gating scrote runs off into the distance.

Personally I'd want a good deal more money than a gateline assistant is paid, some self defence training and possibly a big stick if I were to go chasing after fare dodgers.

 

[Flamingo]

Yesterday afternoon, welcoming a train arriving at about 15:00 was a cordon of half a dozen large young men in yellow fluorescent jackets. "Tickets and passes, please". To which one bruiser brushed past them saying "I haven't f*****g" got one", and ran off the station, to amusingly gobsmacked expressions.
Three questions:

1. Under the "rules of engagement", would one at least of the cordon be expected to pursue the gentleman into the badlands of Ilkley?
2. Would he have any powers outside the station area, however that is defined?
3. Is there, perhaps, an instruction to avoid confrontations that might lead to violence?

No, No, and Yes.

 

[bb21]

Personally I'd want a good deal more money than a gateline assistant is paid, some self defence training and possibly a big stick if I were to go chasing after fare dodgers.

A stick is hardly enough. A tranquilizer gun is more appropriate I think.

 

[island]

Yesterday afternoon, welcoming a train arriving at about 15:00 was a cordon of half a dozen large young men in yellow fluorescent jackets. "Tickets and passes, please". To which one bruiser brushed past them saying "I haven't f*****g" got one", and ran off the station, to amusingly gobsmacked expressions.
Three questions:

1. Under the "rules of engagement", would one at least of the cordon be expected to pursue the gentleman into the badlands of Ilkley?
2. Would he have any powers outside the station area, however that is defined?
3. Is there, perhaps, an instruction to avoid confrontations that might lead to violence?

1. No
2. He has the same "powers" outside as inside the station area (not very many)
3. Most if not all TOCs issue such an instruction

 

[neilmc]

1. No
2. He has the same "powers" outside as inside the station area (not very many)
3. Most if not all TOCs issue such an instruction

That was foolhardy of him - at that time of day he'd have probably been the only male under 50 on the streets of Ilkley, and the police could have cornered him in a teashop.