Revenue Protection at Heritage Railway Galas

[John Luxton]

I have just had three days at the Welsh Highland Railway 100 Gala.

Not once in those three days was I asked to show my ticket.

Apart from showing it at the entrance to the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway as I thought I might need one of their tickets no one on the trains asked for it.

I wasn't aware of any ticket checks being made.

Given this was a premium priced event the thought that there could be (and probably were) some free loaders troubled me.

At previous FWHR Co galas there have been occasional checks though it has only been the odd guard.

Anyone else attend the WHR 100 Gala and have their ticket checked?

 

[BigB]

Not the same gala, but at SVR last month I never saw a ticket check all day, either at stations or on the trains, and not all were full or standing.
Heritage railways don't have lots of "spare" staff to do this, but even some checks woukd make sense.

 

[John Luxton]

Not the same gala, but at SVR last month I never saw a ticket check all day, either at stations or on the trains, and not all were full or standing.
Heritage railways don't have lots of "spare" staff to do this, but even some checks woukd make sense.

I had a short visit to KWVR diesel gala last year and there were checks, same at Llangollen Transport, Diesel Weekend and Railcar weekend in 2022.

I know people are very busy but some effort should be made.

I had the impression there were none enthusiasts joining trains at intermediate stations who were unticketed.

 

[DarloRich]

Not the same gala, but at SVR last month I never saw a ticket check all day, either at stations or on the trains, and not all were full or standing.
Heritage railways don't have lots of "spare" staff to do this, but even some checks woukd make sense.

I hand my wrist band checked several times at the SVR gala - daily colour coded wristbands must make it so easy to check. You all just hold your hand up!

EDIT - I KNOW I am cruising for a bruising with this thought but the wristband is a much better mechanism for checking validity at very busy events than a stupid bit of card pulled out of an ancient machine and stuffed in your wallet! Saves so much faffing about.

PS - OF COURSE these railways should be doing ticket checks. They need all the money they can get. It must be hard if every carriage is rammed like the 0630 to Euston mind!

 

[30907]

I am surprised to read about the lack of onboard ticket checks on these lines.

That said, it may be that ticketless travel is simply not an issue - I have completed a fair few turns as a TTC on my local line and have not encountered any evidence of fare evasion - not even on galas in the bar car
(There are trains that operate without a TTC from time to time, but they are random, so you couldn't guarantee a free ride!)

 

[Falcon1200]

I was at a preserved railway (not on a Gala day) on Saturday. The booking office at my origin station was closed, I travelled out and back via a two minute connection at a crossing point, so did not have time to buy a ticket there, and there was no ticket check on either train! Fortunately (for the railway) however the booking office was open on return to origin so I was able to pay then.

 

[xotGD]

When galas only offer day rovers, someone turning up just wanting a run behind one particular loco may be tempted to not buy a ticket since they wouldn't be making full use of it. Well tough. The fare structure is set by the railway, so either accept it, or don't travel.

Whether cheaper ticket options should be offered for gala events is a separate question.

 

[LowLevel]

I last travelled on the FR/WHR at least 10 years ago and then the guards were like hawks flying around with a portable ticket machine, where able.

I guess like a microcosm of the national network greater use of e-ticket and the shift in focus to pre-booked travel may have reduced their keenness.

On the heritage railway I volunteer at the travelling ticket inspectors are very much seen as the front line customer facing staff and tour guides. They can sell tickets, though they often don't do many these days, but having the ticket clipped and someone to chat to is part of the experience.

If I'm working as a guard I can't sell tickets, but if there's no TTI I will often trundle around saying hello and gripping the tickets in the interest of customer service.

 

[williamn]

Not a gala but over 7 trips on the FR/WHR my ticket wasn't checked once! Nor at the Tanfield Railway gala the other weekend.

 

[John Luxton]

Whether cheaper ticket options should be offered for gala events is a separate question.

FWHR were doing a mix of ordinary tickets and gala tickets. Ordinary passengers were using the gala trains.

A group of 60+ people got into the compartment next to mine and showed the guard their tickets as he unlocked the compartment door.

He said he would check tickets later but didn't. From what I could overhear they were just going to Beddgelert for a day out.

 

[Iskra]

I visited a GCR gala earlier in the year and ticket checks were done on every train, although once the more on the ball staff started remembering me they stopped asking. However, it was a QR code which nobody seemed to have any actual ability to scan. This was a positive experience.

At a different railway, a special event was being held and there were two TTI’s on a single set of coaching stock, where only two were in public use. Despite the short line, the low passenger numbers, the lack of a proper station at the lines end and me remaining in the same place throughout, they insisted on clipping my ticket on every single run in each direction, which I thought a bit OTT. My ticket looked like Swiss Cheese by the half way point in the day and it was mildly irritating to be accosted so much.

There’s a balance to be struck, I think.

 

[railfan99]

On WSR last year, my ticket was checked on every train in each direction by the TTI. They were all friendly. This railway lacks Edmondson tickets: they were all just thermal paper tickets.

 

[D6130]

At the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway diesel gala on Saturday, one very polite, efficient young travelling ticket inspector was covering both trains by travelling up and down between Oakworth and Oxenhope. I didn't see any evidence of ticketless travel....but, there again, I spent most of the time sitting in the bar car!

 

[kje7812]

I hand my wrist band checked several times at the SVR gala - daily colour coded wristbands must make it so easy to check. You all just hold your hand up!

EDIT - I KNOW I am cruising for a bruising with this thought but the wristband is a much better mechanism for checking validity at very busy events than a stupid bit of card pulled out of an ancient machine and stuffed in your wallet! Saves so much faffing about.

PS - OF COURSE these railways should be doing ticket checks. They need all the money they can get. It must be hard if every carriage is rammed like the 0630 to Euston mind!

Not everyone's cup of tea, but does make ticket checks at galas a lot easier, speaking as some who does it at the SVR

Not the same gala, but at SVR last month I never saw a ticket check all day, either at stations or on the trains, and not all were full or standing.
Heritage railways don't have lots of "spare" staff to do this, but even some checks would make sense.

Interesting, there were checks on some trains (the ones I was rostered on for certain...) but there were a few gaps in the TTI roster for diesel gala. Special event coverage can be tricky at times.

 

[30907]

At the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway diesel gala on Saturday, one very polite, efficient young travelling ticket inspector was covering both trains by travelling up and down between Oakworth and Oxenhope. I didn't see any evidence of ticketless travel....but, there again, I spent most of the time sitting in the bar car!

Very impressive - covering for staff sickness, I presume, as both sets were booked to be covered for a full 10 hours.

 

[Forty29]

Not the same gala, but at SVR last month I never saw a ticket check all day, either at stations or on the trains, and not all were full or standing.
Heritage railways don't have lots of "spare" staff to do this, but even some checks woukd make sense.

Had ticket checked twice at SVR diesel gala on the busy Saturday. Surprised at amount of security guards on the trains, never come across them before.

 

[LittleRedTrain]

Anyone else attend the WHR 100 Gala and have their ticket checked?

Was there all three days and had my ticket checked 3 or 4 times, usually before departure from Porthmadog as the guard was locking the doors.

 

[kje7812]

Had ticket checked twice at SVR diesel gala on the busy Saturday. Surprised at amount of security guards on the trains, never come across them before.

There's been trouble on late night trains in the past (both Steam and diesel galas).

 

[John Luxton]

Was there all three days and had my ticket checked 3 or 4 times, usually before departure from Porthmadog as the guard was locking the doors.

I did all three days and the only person who saw mine was the lady at WHHR which was where I went on Friday as I wasn't sure if one had to show it there to enter the site as I seldom visit.

Anyway must be I was just on the trains which escaped checks.

Pleased to hear though that checks were taking place.

 

[31160]

Well the thing is it does take someone to volunteer to do it, I know after the enforced covid shut down of pres a lot of the older volunteers decided they didn't want to go back/got a bit more unfirm so railways do have a staff problem,irrespective of what line we are talking about, I've done a whole load of pres in my time and I honestly have never seen fare evasion on any type of scale because we all know that if there is there will be no pres left

 

[Crawley Ben]

Regular ticket checks on board the trains at the Kent & East Sussex Railway Steam Up event a few weeks back. Staff polite & quick at clipping my ticket each time.

Ben

 

[Stuwhu]

Do "Top Boys" normally buy a ticket or is ticketless travel part of their culture?

 

[Sm5]

Recalling the MHR post covid gala with Bahamas…
I had my ticket (wristband) checked 4 times before I saw a train.

Also ordered food by mobile to pick up on arrival of my train (as walking though the train was not allowed, even staff).
Then a week later having to quarantine (after a dozen calls) saying i’d pinged close to someone with covid.

ah those days.

 

[ChewChewTrain]

Are the same prosecution options available on heritage railways as “normal” ones?

 

[Sm5]

Are the same prosecution options available on heritage railways as “normal” ones?

back in the 1980’s I saw one TTI and guard stop a train in the middle of nowhere and physcially throw someone out of the door onto the track to make his own way. The footplate crew threw a bucket of water at him on the reverse run.

(it was a former volunteer, persona non grata).


Not sure you’d get away with that now, not sure if he had a ticket or not.

 

[John Luxton]

Do "Top Boys" normally buy a ticket or is ticketless travel part of their culture?

Pardon my ignorance but what is a "Top Boy"?

 

[Alanko]

back in the 1980’s I saw one TTI and guard stop a train in the middle of nowhere and physcially throw someone out of the door onto the track to make his own way. The footplate crew threw a bucket of water at him on the reverse run.

(it was a former volunteer, persona non grata).


Not sure you’d get away with that now, not sure if he had a ticket or not.

Pretty sure the TTI and guard would be jailed for that these days?

 

[Intercity110]

Pardon my ignorance but what is a "Top Boy"?

they're also knows as 'veg', and are the 'less desirable' type of enthusiast, i believe

 

[DarloRich]

Pardon my ignorance but what is a "Top Boy"?

you will know them when you smell them! They tend to be the super spotter types, obsessed, nothing else in life, few personal relationships, completely craicless other than trains and seemingly allergic to washing either themselves or thier clothes. They are most often found shouting silly things out of train windows, making some kind of nazi style salute and just being a wibbling mess that sensible people avoid like the plague.

 

[John Luxton]

Pretty sure the TTI and guard would be jailed for that these days?

Probably - BUT back in the day to be treated in such a way was part of the punishment for breaking the rules. Perhaps the emphasis on rights has undermined the requirement for responsibilities?

I saw something very similar happen not on a train but on the former Bude > Okehampton > Exeter coach service back in 1978.

This was introduced around 1966 by a now defunct company W.J.O. Jennings to replace the Bude > Okehampton and later Exeter rail service.

Back in the day there were two departures off Bude within 10 minutes around 15:00 one was the through coach to Exeter the other operated to Okehampton from where it returned as a school service.

As I only wanted to go to Okehampton I boarded the short working as it was lightly loaded. Also joining the coach was some hippy type chap who sat between me and the driver and started drinking cider.

As the coach approached Halwill Junction where it was scheduled to leave the main road and stop in the former station forecourt the hippy started being violently sick.

The driver walked back dragged him off the seat and literally booted him off the top step of the coach the hippy went down the ground, picked himself up and ran off.

The driver retrieved a bucket and mop out of the luggage bay under the coach fetched some water from a nearby shop and cleaned the mess "commenting not only is he drunk he has been on something".

He apologised to the handful of passenger on the coach for the delay - but everyone appeared to approve of driver's actions.

This would be the case today but it was swift punishment.

As the same driver was noted on future journeys his actions didn't appear to have had an repercussions!

We are too soft these days!!

you will know them when you smell them! They tend to be the super spotter types, obsessed, nothing else in life, few personal relationships, completely craicless other than trains and seemingly allergic to washing either themselves or thier clothes. They are most often found shouting silly things out of train windows, making some kind of nazi style salute and just being a wibbling mess that sensible people avoid like the plague.

Thanks.

I always thought that type were called "traction bashers"?