Have your tickets been checked on your journey?

[Kite159]

I've had a day of complete opposites in terms of ticket checks.

4 of the GWR 'ex-Wessex' services the guards were visible after every station, likewise the guards on a couple TfW Rail services being visible and checking tickets. 2 GWR intercity services, no sign of the guard. Could understand the first journey as that was a pair of 5 coach units with the guard stuck in the rear portion, but the 2nd service was a 9 coach service, which had some lengthy runs between station calls [Newport - Gloucester, Gloucester - Swindon] where they could have done a 100% check.

Barriers at Salisbury wide open both this morning & this evening. Looked like Llanelli had a revenue block as well

 

[Chriso]

I have not been out of zone 6 much lately but did have an enjoyable trip to Ramsgate from London on Friday 08/07/22. I travelled

O/B
London Bridge - Tonbridge
Tonbridge - Ashford Int
Ashford Int - Ramsgate

On the outbound all gates at London Bridge we’re fully operational but Tonbridge and Ashford gatelines were wide open and no on train checks

Return

Ramsgate - Ashford Int
Ashford Int - London Bridge

Full check by guard on Javelin on departure from Ramsgate (all tickets done by Canterbury West). Full check on 375 on departure from Ashford international towards London Bridge. On arrival around 10pm the London Bridge gateline was fully operational except one member of staff who just left a gate open (common issue at London Bridge in my experience)

So a bit of a mixed bag. Good to see some on train checks but South Eastern are awful at staffing their gatelines outside of London zone 1 which has been the case ever since Connex installed most of them

 

[Snow1964]

GWR have checked tickets on my line on every train, however the exit barriers at Bath Spa have been open on occasions (they have 3 separate barrier lines, main entrance, main exit and riverside). The local stations in Wessex have no barriers.

However some just check tickets and hand them back, some have used a clipper that prints date and a code rather than punching a hole. So inconsistency in that part of on train check.

 

[Andy Pacer]

I have not been out of zone 6 much lately but did have an enjoyable trip to Ramsgate from London on Friday 08/07/22. I travelled

O/B
London Bridge - Tonbridge
Tonbridge - Ashford Int
Ashford Int - Ramsgate

On the outbound all gates at London Bridge we’re fully operational but Tonbridge and Ashford gatelines were wide open and no on train checks

Return

Ramsgate - Ashford Int
Ashford Int - London Bridge

Full check by guard on Javelin on departure from Ramsgate (all tickets done by Canterbury West). Full check on 375 on departure from Ashford international towards London Bridge. On arrival around 10pm the London Bridge gateline was fully operational except one member of staff who just left a gate open (common issue at London Bridge in my experience)

So a bit of a mixed bag. Good to see some on train checks but South Eastern are awful at staffing their gatelines outside of London zone 1 which has been the case ever since Connex installed most of them

I'm currently on day 3 of a Kent Rover. Very few on train checks, probably only 1 per day so far. Pleasing that the rover works the gate lines though.

 

[DannyMich2018]

Was on hols in Devon last week and of 5 GWR trains travelled on 4 had ticket checks conducted, some literally just after leaving a station. Very efficient and worlds away from EMR Intercity and XC!!

 

[Vinnym]

Had ticket checked this morning on the 0931 Merseyrail service Liverpool Central to Ormskirk. Ticket check was by the guard who had what looked like a trainee guard in tow. Only second time had ticket check on Merseyrail since Covid.

 

[Andy Pacer]

Was on hols in Devon last week and of 5 GWR trains travelled on 4 had ticket checks conducted, some literally just after leaving a station. Very efficient and worlds away from EMR Intercity and XC!!

Full ticket check on the 0832 Leicester to St Pancras on Thursday on EMR...

 

[DannyMich2018]

Full ticket check on the 0832 Leicester to St Pancras on Thursday on EMR...

Thats good then. I travel between Kettering and Hinckley once a week and rarely witness a ticket check on either service.

 

[Andy Pacer]

Thats good then. I travel between Kettering and Hinckley once a week and rarely witness a ticket check on either service.

I used to do once or twice a week Leicester to/from Luton before Covid, regularly regularly checked southbound but rarely northbound. Although clearly habits have changed which was the purpose of this thread!

 

[Kite159]

Day in North Wales yesterday and TfW were very hit & miss when it came to checking even on the long sections between stations (ie nonstop Llandudno Junction - Bangor or Bangor to Holyhead).

Had a check on the LNR Crewe service on Thursday night, guard got to the front coach between Milton Keynes & Rugby but nothing afterwards.

 

[Andy Pacer]

Check tonight on EMR back from St Pancras to Leicester.

 

[yorkie]

None of my recent journeys on TPE have seen any ticket checking taking place, except for one instance of a check between Manchester Piccadilly and the Airport which consisted of visually looking at the e-ticket, out of dozens of journeys.

I did York to Darlington and back and no checking took place, which of course is in line with my expectations for TPE.

 

[LOL The Irony]

Wilmslow to Euston on Thursday, the TM seemed more bothered with promoting downgraded firimean standard premium. The TM on the way back on Friday did check tickets, although not my railcard.

 

[Grumpy Git]

Had ticket checked this morning on the 0931 Merseyrail service Liverpool Central to Ormskirk. Ticket check was by the guard who had what looked like a trainee guard in tow. Only second time had ticket check on Merseyrail since Covid.

I was under the impression that Merseyrail guards never do ticket checks? Are you sure it wasn’t RPI staff?

 

[CHESHIRECAT]

8 car TPE have some keen RPi"s in the front sets at moment...!

 

[sk688]

Nothing on EMR between Luton and East Midlands Parkway
in the last month I have done Bedford to Sheffield numerous times , and not encountered any ticket checks whatsoever, so in keeping with how they are I guess.

This is for both Connect and Intercity

 

[Andy Pacer]

Nothing on EMR between Luton and East Midlands Parkway
in the last month I have done Bedford to Sheffield numerous times , and not encountered any ticket checks whatsoever, so in keeping with how they are I guess.

This is for both Connect and Intercity

Definitely seems hit and miss then as I was checked both ways over the recent few days.

 

[Vinnym]

I was under the impression that Merseyrail guards never do ticket checks? Are you sure it wasn’t RPI staff?

No definitely guards, they checked tickets in the rear carriage where I was sitting, then proceeded to open and close the doors at the next station before moving on to the next carriage.

 

[py_megapixel]

8 car TPE have some keen RPi"s in the front sets at moment...!

TPE don't run any 8 car trains.

 

[peteb]

DB appear to have given up ticket checks due to massive overcrowding as a result of the €9 summer tickets. In 5 days in Germany I was only asked for my ticket on a tiny single car train on the Hunsruckerbahn at Boppard.

 

[CHESHIRECAT]

TPE don't run any 8 car trains.

Pedant
Ok 2 x 3 car = 6
Mathematics never my strong point

 

[Chriso]

I had a check on Sat on the 09:46 London Euston to Crewe while stationary at Stafford (10 min layover). Gates working at Euston p8-11 and Crewe.

On return gates working at Crewe but nothing on train 14:33 Crewe to Tamworth or 18:02 Tamworth to Euston. I should add the trains were fairly busy south of Tamworth

 

[NoOnesFool]

I recently made it from Doncaster to Bristol Temple Meads without a ticket check. The barriers were open at both King's Cross and Paddington.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Yes today on Thameslink heading to St Albans. First time in 3 years.

He obviously cleared out the 1st class .....

 

[yorkie]

Done many hundreds of miles with no checks on TPE/XC. Occasionally I'll pass through a barrier (e.g. today at Brum) checks on trains are not generally done these days.

Recent journeys on these operators this month have been to Birmingham, Yarm, Darlington, Manchester.

I don't recall having my ticket checked properly on TPE for years.

Northern is a completely different story ... until the evening and then they become rare.

 

[Chriso]

On Tuesday was checked both ways London to Nottingham, Nottingham - Bulwell and NET back in to the city.

On the outbound there was an RPI checking all stations after Kettering Guard had done full check previously). Also on the return I had a 7 car 222 and an RPI assisted the guard doing a full check between Kettering and London

The guard on the 14:25 managed the whole 3 coaches by Bulwell and sold 3 tickets - very impressive. The NET had 2 x rpi on pincher style starting at each end to meet in the middle. They marched some scumbags off to fine.

I can’t believe they still haven’t sorted out the ridiculous gateline situation at Nottingham. If they can’t do it properly they should be removed and staff deployed more effectively elsewhere

 

[LowLevel]

On Tuesday was checked both ways London to Nottingham, Nottingham - Bulwell and NET back in to the city.

On the outbound there was an RPI checking all stations after Kettering Guard had done full check previously). Also on the return I had a 7 car 222 and an RPI assisted the guard doing a full check between Kettering and London

The guard on the 14:25 managed the whole 3 coaches by Bulwell and sold 3 tickets - very impressive. The NET had 2 x rpi on pincher style starting at each end to meet in the middle. They marched some scumbags off to fine.

I can’t believe they still haven’t sorted out the ridiculous gateline situation at Nottingham. If they can’t do it properly they should be removed and staff deployed more effectively elsewhere

The middle overbridge at Nottingham is being closed to rail passengers at some point - the locks are already fitted - forcing passengers through the gateline.

 

[Kite159]

The middle overbridge at Nottingham is being closed to rail passengers at some point - the locks are already fitted - forcing passengers through the gateline.

That will make it even more "fun" for someone changing between trains from platform 2 to P4, at least the middle bridge cuts down the distance. Especially if a train pulls into P1/P3 at around the same time.

Probably even for the staff when changing trains for the next duty.

----

Friday I got checked twice heading into London (once on a 159 to Basingstoke, then on a pair of 444s to Waterloo), the guard caught at least 3 passengers out in the front coach of the 444s who didn't have tickets (I suspect the sort who know they can simply touch into the TfL system at Clapham Junction)

Sunday no checks on the Southern service on the West London Line both ways (guard simply sat down on an empty table on the long section between Shepherds Bush & Harrow), barriers wide open at Watford Junction (even looked like the slots to insert tickets had been blocked off). Nothing on the 350s but surprisingly a check on the 230 on a Bletchley - Bedford service!

 

[LowLevel]

That will make it even more "fun" for someone changing between trains from platform 2 to P4, at least the middle bridge cuts down the distance. Especially if a train pulls into P1/P3 at around the same time.

Probably even for the staff when changing trains for the next duty.

They're maglocks and staff will be issued personal fobs for duty use only to unlock them.

Yes, it's a huge pain in the arse but as I've pointed out to various customers over the years - if you get used to paying when asked having ignored the payment methods available and then walking out at the end of your journey thinking "hooray, I've got a free one today" then don't whine when someone stops up the access.

They tried to do it the other way and dedicate the bridge to rail passengers but people kept objecting to the closure of the public footpath over the bridge - the comparatively short detour via Carrington St or the A60 being deemed to be unacceptable so it's no surprise they've eventually settled on doing it the other way round and dedicating the bridge to the right of way and locking off the platforms.

Hopefully the inevitable complaints, (yes, 500 metres is a stupid walk for C end to C end) will push things on for reinstatement of an East end footbridge, and not just for parcels this time.

 

[Kite159]

They're maglocks and staff will be issued personal fobs for duty use only to unlock them.

Yes, it's a huge pain in the arse but as I've pointed out to various customers over the years - if you get used to paying when asked having ignored the payment methods available and then walking out at the end of your journey thinking "hooray, I've got a free one today" then don't whine when someone stops up the access.

They tried to do it the other way and dedicate the bridge to rail passengers but people kept objecting to the closure of the public footpath over the bridge - the comparatively short detour via Carrington St or the A60 being deemed to be unacceptable so it's no surprise they've eventually settled on doing it the other way round and dedicating the bridge to the right of way and locking off the platforms.

Hopefully the inevitable complaints, (yes, 500 metres is a stupid walk for C end to C end) will push things on for reinstatement of an East end footbridge, and not just for parcels this time.

I agree about closing the bridge, as it is a massive revenue hole. Similar to other stations where there are barriers but also a side gate which is left open (i.e. Rainham in Kent). All the chancers will know to use the side gate, even if it's a longer walk.

Hopefully the gateline at Nottingham will be able to cope with passengers arriving at the same time if two busy trains arrive at around the same time.