ValleyLines142
Established Member
This morning I caught the 1056 Cardiff Queen Street to Penarth service. I arrived at 1046 to purchase my ticket.
For those who know the layout of the ticket office at Queen Street, there are two ticket machines on the left as you walk in, and then three separate windows, although two are for excess fares and one is for purchasing tickets for travel, these being divided by the ticket barriers.
The queue for both ticket machines were 3 to 4 deep, and the same for the sole window to purchase tickets from. There was a couple who looked to be buying something rather complex, as they were filling out a form, and then there were two people in front of me.
As I looked on the departure boards, I noticed the time was ticking fast to 56 minutes past....52....53....etc. I asked the gateline assistant if I could purchase my ticket on the train, as I'd been waiting nine minutes to buy a ticket, and I had my railcard and money ready in my hand. I was told no. I did say that I was about to miss my train, only to be told to 'get the next one as they're every fifteen minutes'.
My blood by this point boiled hotter than it has ever done in my 23 years of being on the planet. I was seething.
The gentleman in front of me shared exactly the views, saying that the staffing levels were totally inadequate. I expressed my sentiments to the gateline assistant and asked what he felt; he just said no and that it's 'just how it is'. I asked if he could let us through the barriers so that we could purchase from the excess fares windows, to which he did agree. The gentleman in front of me kindly let me go in front, as his train wasn't until 1100 (if you are on this forum, thank you sir!). However, as it was less than a minute, I politely declined and said thank you, and overrode the gateline assistant's decision and proceeded up to the platform. He said something to me but I brushed my arm at him as if to say look I seriously have to go. I made my train with LESS THAN THIRTY seconds to spare. I purchased my ticket on the train with no problems.
I just wanted to check how long an acceptable wait should be at a station? I understand in the peak it is a minimum of five minutes but off-peak I was told three?
I complained to Arriva Trains Wales however I just got a generic 'sorry for this, we will pass on your comments'. I guarantee nothing will get done.
I just cannot imagine what the place must be like at 8am or 5pm.
I did state to the gateline assistant that whilst the clearly inadequate staffing levels was not personally his fault, he should have allowed me to board my train, especially as I had my money and railcard ready and I should not have had to miss my train when I had been waiting almost ten minutes.
Any views?
For those who know the layout of the ticket office at Queen Street, there are two ticket machines on the left as you walk in, and then three separate windows, although two are for excess fares and one is for purchasing tickets for travel, these being divided by the ticket barriers.
The queue for both ticket machines were 3 to 4 deep, and the same for the sole window to purchase tickets from. There was a couple who looked to be buying something rather complex, as they were filling out a form, and then there were two people in front of me.
As I looked on the departure boards, I noticed the time was ticking fast to 56 minutes past....52....53....etc. I asked the gateline assistant if I could purchase my ticket on the train, as I'd been waiting nine minutes to buy a ticket, and I had my railcard and money ready in my hand. I was told no. I did say that I was about to miss my train, only to be told to 'get the next one as they're every fifteen minutes'.
My blood by this point boiled hotter than it has ever done in my 23 years of being on the planet. I was seething.
The gentleman in front of me shared exactly the views, saying that the staffing levels were totally inadequate. I expressed my sentiments to the gateline assistant and asked what he felt; he just said no and that it's 'just how it is'. I asked if he could let us through the barriers so that we could purchase from the excess fares windows, to which he did agree. The gentleman in front of me kindly let me go in front, as his train wasn't until 1100 (if you are on this forum, thank you sir!). However, as it was less than a minute, I politely declined and said thank you, and overrode the gateline assistant's decision and proceeded up to the platform. He said something to me but I brushed my arm at him as if to say look I seriously have to go. I made my train with LESS THAN THIRTY seconds to spare. I purchased my ticket on the train with no problems.
I just wanted to check how long an acceptable wait should be at a station? I understand in the peak it is a minimum of five minutes but off-peak I was told three?
I complained to Arriva Trains Wales however I just got a generic 'sorry for this, we will pass on your comments'. I guarantee nothing will get done.
I just cannot imagine what the place must be like at 8am or 5pm.
I did state to the gateline assistant that whilst the clearly inadequate staffing levels was not personally his fault, he should have allowed me to board my train, especially as I had my money and railcard ready and I should not have had to miss my train when I had been waiting almost ten minutes.
Any views?
