-
Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Do any Heritage Railways ever get fare evaders?
- Thread starter swt class 450
- Start date
- Status
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
pieguyrob
Member
- Joined
- 27 Oct 2018
- Messages
- 573
Surely if they haven't got a ticket, or have intentionally not made a payment that is fraud. That is certainly the case in a taxi, and it is a criminal matter and not a civil one.
ForTheLoveOf
Established Member
- Joined
- 7 Oct 2017
- Messages
- 6,416
Fraud might be provable in a small subset of cases, but the Regulation of Railways Act is a much easier offence to prove. The issue with prosecuting such a matter is two-fold - firstly, you don't want the railway to get a bad name and potentially to lose funding (e.g. council/lottery), and secondly, bringing a private prosecution is quite expensive if you don't have a process set up for it like the TOCs do.
Bertie the bus
Established Member
- Joined
- 15 Aug 2014
- Messages
- 3,216
Some possibly do try to get away without paying but part fares between pick-up or set-down points is perfectly legitimate and permitted on several railtour operators.
The law can be strange. For example, walk out of a shop without paying and it is a criminal offence. Buy something on credit from mail order with no intention of paying and it is a civil matter. You often can't just make assumptions based on some other incident.
221129
Established Member
It's not fraud.
yorkshire steam railway
2 young ticket collectors discuss how they hate fare evaders but no inclination off how many
about half way through the episode
https://www.my5.tv/the-yorkshire-steam-railway-all-aboard/season-1/episode-1
2 young ticket collectors discuss how they hate fare evaders but no inclination off how many
about half way through the episode
https://www.my5.tv/the-yorkshire-steam-railway-all-aboard/season-1/episode-1
swt class 450
Guest
- Joined
- 9 Apr 2016
- Messages
- 1,909
Out of interest what happens if a passenger boards at the unstaffed station of Ashey on the Isle Of Wight Steam Railway? As this railway operates 100% compartment stock with no corridors then do people boarding at Ashey just get a free ride?
We boarded a Dean Forest Railway train at Lydney Junction a few years ago - no booking office (or it was closed if there was one) and didn't see anybody on the train, or when we got back, so had a free ride (although we later made a donation equivalent to the fare).
Mutant Lemming
Established Member
I dislike rings, bracelets, necklaces and such and find wristbands irritating to the extent I would avoid a railway that makes me wear one. Just issue a ticket and check the thing properly.
- Joined
- 21 Jan 2010
- Messages
- 5,564
The local force.
UP13
Member
- Joined
- 27 Jul 2018
- Messages
- 511
AFAIK the BT is a private police force financed by Network Rail and the TOCs. Heritage Railways are not subscribers to this service.
Spamcan81
Established Member
There are a few who reached legendary status amongst fellow gricers for doing just that.
2392
Member
The North Yorkshire Moors is a Heritage line which does. Mind you of course they have their own TOC too with their operations to mainly Whitby. Like as not Swanage will to once they have their Wareham service up and running. I'm not sure though of the arrangements with regards to the North Norfolk as the NYMR are operating their limited Sheringham - Cromer service.
- Joined
- 21 Jan 2010
- Messages
- 5,564
If it’s on Network Rail metals then it’s BTP… there on its Norfolk Constabulary.
STEVIEBOY1
Established Member
- Joined
- 31 Jul 2010
- Messages
- 4,001
I was on a charter train that was enroute from Ashford to Dungeness, it stopped at Appledore I think and a couple of youths got on, they were turfed off at the old platform at Lydd!!
Generally that's correct though they have been known to turn up anyway having heard about the issue on the radio.
StoneRoad
Member
Here's a good one.
It was Carnival Day at one end of the railway for which I worked. I was guarding the second train of the day, on setting off from the other end. I was presented with one half fare ticket by a member of a group of lads. So I attempted to find out who else had tickets and or sell them some. I was more than a bit dubious of their age claims when some of them came back from the buffet car with cans of beer.
Either you are old enough to drink or you are young enough for half fare ... not both at the same time !
A call to control resulted in the buffet steward being told to ask for tickets, before serving them again. And they were escorted off the station when we arrived by all the available staff, and they must have caught the bus home, because I didn't see them again that day.
It was Carnival Day at one end of the railway for which I worked. I was guarding the second train of the day, on setting off from the other end. I was presented with one half fare ticket by a member of a group of lads. So I attempted to find out who else had tickets and or sell them some. I was more than a bit dubious of their age claims when some of them came back from the buffet car with cans of beer.
Either you are old enough to drink or you are young enough for half fare ... not both at the same time !
A call to control resulted in the buffet steward being told to ask for tickets, before serving them again. And they were escorted off the station when we arrived by all the available staff, and they must have caught the bus home, because I didn't see them again that day.
ccityplanner12
Member
- Joined
- 17 Feb 2016
- Messages
- 195
I once travelled to Tunbridge Wells West on an orange APTIS Upper Warlingham to Tunbridge Wells Day Return. I was gripped too!
Volunteer gripper (I am one, on another line) thinks: didn't know we had through fares/not seen this version before but it's 3 months since my last turn so I might have missed something. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.
I'm sure you donated the fare though
ccityplanner12
Member
- Joined
- 17 Feb 2016
- Messages
- 195
The SVR did at the time have through fares, but they were more expensive than buying tickets separately (
).
).wagwan my g
Member
I remember chatting to a ticket inspector on the gcr at a gala once and he was saying how the day before he had some passengers trying to use tickets from the year before's gala.
We don't run galas anymore but one of the interesting things about the ticketing is that if you don't specifically exclude them the very high percentage of privs of one kind of another you will get asked for. Even if you exclude or restrict them many buyers will "sulk" when advised why you cant afford to offer them.
My style with privs has always been to pay for my ticket at the reduced rate (for the vast majority of railway it is reciprocal as their permanent staff get a Quarter Fare card in return) but then put the balance of the fare in the donations tin.
I treat it the same way as I do CAMRA discounts in pubs - I don't go looking for or asking for them but if they're actively offered I'll take them up.
That's how I treat most, if not all, of the discounts I get. I tend to give my loyalty to places where I get a discount. Kinda the point really. I get a discount and in return I tend to buy more and buy often. I also spread the word.
When I first started on the railway I was told that heritage railways give discount for railway staff. Guess where I took my kids for days out.
For the small loss on a discount, you're gonna get a return trip, purchase in the gift shop, cuppa in the cafe, and a recommendation to friends and colleagues.
- Status