Abellio Conductors.

[Knebworth85]

Today I had to travel from Norwich to Cromer to pick some keys up on the way up. I saw no guard at all i.e. no tickets were checked.

On the way back 16.50 from Cromer I spoke to the guard who said I must of been asleep on the way up, er nope I was not, on the way back he only checked the tickets from Wroxham.

Is this a new way to protect revenue?

 

[bb21]

What do you mean?

Revenue duties are not the guard's only job. He may well have been busy with other things.

 

[dk1]

Today I had to travel from Norwich to Cromer to pick some keys up on the way up. I saw no guard at all i.e. no tickets were checked.

On the way back 16.50 from Cromer I spoke to the guard who said I must of been asleep on the way up, er nope I was not, on the way back he only checked the tickets from Wroxham.

Is this a new way to protect revenue?

Not in the slightest. Some very keen conductors on the local routes. How else do passengers exit the gates at Norwich. Only time would be a faulty machine for which announcements would be made. Where you wearing earphones at all?

 

[Andrew32]

That's what annoys me, people think that our only job is to check and sell tickets, if only it was that easy

 

[Trainfan344]

I noticed on my recent ventures up and down the GEML that Abellio conductors were casually wandering up and down the train not doing tickets. Probably busy in the buffet car (they wish).

 

[317666]

Did have an Ely - Manningtree journey (was that evening service from Peterborough that goes through to Colchester) without a ticket check a few months ago, watched the train leave at Manningtree to see the guard in the back cab with feet up and earphones in! Unfortunately it's people like that who give most guards a bad name.

 

[the sniper]

'I caught a train from Station A to Station B and didn't have my ticket checked' threads... Fascinating! :roll:

 

[306024]

Did have an Ely - Manningtree journey (was that evening service from Peterborough that goes through to Colchester) without a ticket check a few months ago, watched the train leave at Manningtree to see the guard in the back cab with feet up and earphones in! Unfortunately it's people like that who give most guards a bad name.

Which just goes to show how to grab the wrong end of the stick.

The train is DOO from Ipswich, with a Norwich driver who travels passenger to Colchester to take the unit back ECS to Crown Point.

I'd wager the 'guard' you saw was the Norwich driver instead just travelling passenger.

There are a number of failures with the new ticket equipment at the moment - 'teething problems' apparently. On two trains I've travelled on this week conductors have apologised for being unable to do tickets.

Greater Anglia conductors are some of the best in my experience, but giving praise is not what some on this forum want to hear.

 

[grumblingalong]

I noticed on my recent ventures up and down the GEML that Abellio conductors were casually wandering up and down the train not doing tickets. Probably busy in the buffet car (they wish).

"Casually wondering up and down" to our nominated dispatch positions at the front and rear of the train with minimal time between stops. Wish I had time to be busy in the buffet car.

 

[AlterEgo]

'I caught a train from Station A to Station B and didn't have my ticket checked' threads... Fascinating! :roll:

They're actually quite illuminating given the impending changing status of the role.

I've not had an on train ticket check since August, on a line with commercial SWT guards. Ho hum.

Edit: no, sorry...one RPI check.

 

[grumblingalong]

Which just goes to show how to grab the wrong end of the stick.

The train is DOO from Ipswich, with a Norwich driver who travels passenger to Colchester to take the unit back ECS to Crown Point.

I'd wager the 'guard' you saw was the Norwich driver instead just travelling passenger.

Beat me to it, this is spot on and demonstrates how pointless these threads are....

 

[bb21]

Beat me to it, this is spot on and demonstrates how pointless these threads are....

See it as an opportunity to educate people, unless the same ones keep popping up.

The job is never completed.

 

[grumblingalong]

See it as an opportunity to educate people, unless the same ones keep popping up.

The job is never completed.

Duly noted, educate I shall.

 

[the sniper]

They're actually quite illuminating given the impending changing status of the role.

Oh come on, 'illuminating'... :roll:

You're really interested to know that on the 30th October one train between Norwich and Cromer had no ticket check, but the return did? This is news?

 

[AlterEgo]

Oh come on, 'illuminating'... :roll:

You're really interested to know that on the 30th October one train between Norwich and Cromer had no ticket check, but the return did? This is news?

Not in and of itself, but the fact is, passengers expect the guard to be visible and to check revenue. That people continue to post examples where they're surprised not to have seen the guard is an example of that.

 

[Ianno87]

Oh come on, 'illuminating'... :roll:

You're really interested to know that on the 30th October one train between Norwich and Cromer had no ticket check, but the return did? This is news?

Given that Norwich has barriers, perhaps the guard was concentrating on people joining at the intermediate station, rather than trying to sell tickets to people who already have them!

 

[Fincra5]

Is this another "Bash the conductors" Thread?

 

[swt class 450]

Which AGA routes still have Guards? Is it just the 153s / 156s / 170s Northwards from Ipswich and the locomotive hauled trains (90+MK3+DVT)? I presume that the Norwich 321s (17:02 London Liverpool Street to Norwich 19:09 and 19:30 Norwich to London Liverpool Street 21:19) have a Guard between Ipswich and Norwich? Do any other lines (like Clacton On Sea and Walton On The Naze) still have them as well or are those all DOO now?

 

[FordFocus]

Not in and of itself, but the fact is, passengers expect the guard to be visible and to check revenue. That people continue to post examples where they're surprised not to have seen the guard is an example of that.

As mention, the train was actually DOO and the "guard" was actually a driver travelling in the back cab pass.

So if anything this thread should be about why there is no rostered second person onboard this train with the passengers.

 

[grumblingalong]

Which AGA routes still have Guards? Is it just the 153s / 156s / 170s Northwards from Ipswich and the locomotive hauled trains (90+MK3+DVT)? I presume that the Norwich 321s (17:02 London Liverpool Street to Norwich 19:09 and 19:30 Norwich to London Liverpool Street 21:19) have a Guard between Ipswich and Norwich? Do any other lines (like Clacton On Sea and Walton On The Naze) still have them as well or are those all DOO now?

All local routes from Ipswich and Norwich have guards, as does the Clacton, Walton and Sudbury branch and of course the mainline hauled sets. Any EMU with more than 8 coaches must have a guard north of Colchester, this includes the 1702. Some trains are able to run DOO from Colchester Town back to the mainline depending on length. Guards are provided on some Braintree workings to operate SDO, the same between Wickford and Southminster.

 

[185]

In my opinion - some guards are excellent, but many others are lazy. Same in any industry.

In my opinion, there are occasions where operational requirements mean staff should stay in the back but I know there are those guards who take their money on the early part of a morning shift then sell usually 1 or 2 tickets for the remaining five hours of their shift. Annoying as those who do not go out jeopardise the role for everyone.

Shoe on the other foot though, stupidity in management is also a reason in my view. There are guards who constantly get comments from management / union reps like "oh he/she's always got the police" and "every week he's doing a report" - well, it does not take a genius to work out that those are the guards doing revenue, going out literally after every stop.

I don't doubt there are those who ask for trouble but in the main those with the reputation are those doing the work.

 

[Matt Taylor]

On busy trains (particularly 10 or 12 cars) I have to choose to either be visible by walking through the whole train at least twice during the journey or do a full ticket check. I cannot do both as a full ticket check on up to 1000 passengers is going to take upwards of an hour.

So do you want us to be visible or do you want us to check all tickets?

 

[Trackman]

I think Abellio guards and staff are great.
was the ticket machine on the blink?
In fact thinking about it, there could be a 100 or more reasons

 

[317666]

Which just goes to show how to grab the wrong end of the stick.

The train is DOO from Ipswich, with a Norwich driver who travels passenger to Colchester to take the unit back ECS to Crown Point.

I'd wager the 'guard' you saw was the Norwich driver instead just travelling passenger.

There are a number of failures with the new ticket equipment at the moment - 'teething problems' apparently. On two trains I've travelled on this week conductors have apologised for being unable to do tickets.

Greater Anglia conductors are some of the best in my experience, but giving praise is not what some on this forum want to hear.

That's an understandable mistake then, but it doesn't explain why there was no ticket check between Ely and Ipswich - especially seeing as our Cambridge - Harwich train (we were catching the ferry that night) had been cancelled, and we had wanted to ask the guard whether it was worth changing at Manningtree or taking a taxi from Ipswich in order to catch it.

While I'm on that subject though I must praise the station supervisor at Ipswich that night, we got off there and asked him - he immediately held the Colchester train so we could get back on it and get to Manningtree, called Stena Line to tell them we'd be late and not to close check-in, and also called ahead to Manningtree so the platform staff there could let us know he'd done so!

 

[Trainfan344]

"Casually wondering up and down" to our nominated dispatch positions at the front and rear of the train with minimal time between stops. Wish I had time to be busy in the buffet car.

I wasn't being 100% serious there! Sorry for any upset caused! I meant for the whole thing to be read sarcastically.

 

[BestWestern]

....Shoe on the other foot though, stupidity in management is also a reason in my view. There are guards who constantly get comments from management / union reps like "oh he/she's always got the police" and "every week he's doing a report" - well, it does not take a genius to work out that those are the guards doing revenue, going out literally after every stop.

I don't doubt there are those who ask for trouble but in the main those with the reputation are those doing the work.

Hmm. Trouble is though, 'always getting the police' tends not to be the preferred way of dealing with things nowadays. Police almost always means delays, costing thousands of pounds. Management don't like this approach and BTP aren't overly keen either. I know some Guards who deal superbly with difficult passengers and rarely have need to stop the job and have them carted off. I also know some who have far greater need for police assistance than anybody reasonably should, and I fully appreciate why it tends to be a cause for concern.

 

[grumblingalong]

I wasn't being 100% serious there! Sorry for any upset caused! I meant for the whole thing to be read sarcastically.

Glad to hear it, no worries no upset caused I'm a big boy these days

 

[CockneySparrow]

Did have an Ely - Manningtree journey (was that evening service from Peterborough that goes through to Colchester) without a ticket check a few months ago, watched the train leave at Manningtree to see the guard in the back cab with feet up and earphones in! Unfortunately it's people like that who give most guards a bad name.

Most don't come round on the last train as they have already cashed up, if they have toitoi sell a ticket it messes up everything, that's what I was told by CC Cambridge revenue inpectors

 

[dk1]

Most don't come round on the last train as they have already cashed up, if they have toitoi sell a ticket it messes up everything, that's what I was told by CC Cambridge revenue inpectors

Wouldn't necessarily agree with that. Doesn't take anytime at all to cash up. Maybe more to do with weekends & would rather not put themselves into a situation with drunks etc.

 

[LowLevel]

If you're sensible and cash up as you go along, pre cash up as it were, it takes no time. During the last leg of my shift I tidy up and count my notes and coins and make sure all my non issue etc paperwork is done, any warrants and vouchers etc are completed and so on. I then make a note on the job card of what I have and check it's right or how far it's wrong (we have some leeway). Then if I do a ticket it's just a case of amending what I take in and give out as change. Then after the last stop it gets scribbled down, shoved into appropriate bags and the machine is logged off. It takes about 2 minutes. Any surplus change I bag up well in advance during the day. It's just about being organised.