Have your tickets been checked on your journey?

[Falcon1200]

Travelled on four Chiltern Railways services today, no ticket check on any of them. Barriers in use at Oxford but left open at Bicester Village.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Travelled on four Chiltern Railways services today, no ticket check on any of them. Barriers in use at Oxford but left open at Bicester Village.

Chiltern is DOO south of Banbury other than the loco hauled sets, so checks on board are rare.

 

[Falcon1200]

Chiltern is DOO south of Banbury other than the loco hauled sets, so checks on board are rare.

I'm rarely on Chiltern, my usual operator is Scotrail where my local line is DOO too; Ticket checks are getting back closer to normal there, but still variable (although it was never quite 100% pre-Covid anyway !)

 

[Chriso]

I don’t think Chiltern guards are doing tickets as I haven’t seen them leave the back cab on my last few trips post lockdown

 

[py_megapixel]

Three separate GWR services today. Checked on two of them.

 

[camflyer]

Cambridge to/from London Kings Cross/St Pancras - can't remember the last time I had an onboard check but there are barriers at both ends even if they are often left open at the London end.

Cambridge to/from Newmarket/Bury St Eds - almost always a ticket check unless the service is packed.

 

[The Ham]

Of my last three train trips my tickets have been checked on board on two of them.

The last one, I was traveling with an under 5 and the gates have them their own ticket, which was decorated ticket stock. Which was a very kind thing to do and made them happy.

The other time was of note, as although my ticket was fine, the guard asked the next person "where are you trying to get to today", which normally means something isn't quite right. Turns out the person had got on a train heading the wrong way and had to double back at Reading (due to the time of day, this required using the sleeper) to head to Cornwall.

 

[jupiter]

Poole-London, London-Norwich and Norwich-Sheringham checked every time a couple of weeks back, both ways.

 

[FQ]

Chiltern have resumed ticket checks, I've seen guards with machines over the past few weeks and had a ticket check between Leamington and Banbury on my way into London the other day. GA also checking pretty thoroughly as has been documented - checked on Monday afternoon between Chelmsford and Colchester on a London-Norwich journey and between Norwich and Wymondham on my return towards London (via Cambridge into KX) on Tuesday evening. Nothing between Cambridge and KX on the GTR fast but not surprising with it being DOO and a waste of RPIs for a non stop train with barriers at each end.

 

[Chriso]

Good to hear about Chiltern

I had a trip in South Eastern land yesterday

11:45 Charing Cross - Tunbridge Wells (gates open at Charing X p5-6 and Tunbridge Wells)

13:39 Tunbridge Wells - Tonbridge (Gates open at Tunbridge Wells and car Pk entrance/exit at Tonbridge)

14:03 Tonbridge - Maidstone Barracks (Tonbridge gates as above)

15:05 Maidstone Barracks - Strood (Gates working at Strood)

15:29 Strood - Gillingham (Gates working at Strood open at Gillingham)

15:51 Gillingham - Chatham (Gates open at both)

bus to Rochester

18.59 Rochester - London St Pancras (Gates working at Rochester with 6 x revenue protection officers and 4 x rail e nforcement officers and at London St Pancras SET)

didn’t even see any guards or OBS let alone a ticket check on any service . All services were fairly quiet too

 

[ValleyLines142]

No ticket check on my Gloucester to Cardiff XC service.

 

[sftfan1909]

Had my first ticket check by TFW on my route today since pre-COVID, I suspect as a result of Wales' latest rule relaxation. The guard came round immediately on departure from Cardiff.

 

[py_megapixel]

I've just had a check by the OBS on my Southern electrostar service

 

[Bletchleyite]

Thought I'd posted yesterday but I guess not.

Avanti certainly were sure to check and collect the £25 for Standard Premium yesterday! No check in Standard on the way up on Friday though.

 

[boiledbeans2]

Was at London Bridge on Saturday (7 August) in the afternoon and at night. On both times, I was surprised to see the ticket barriers fully open. I presume they were open from afternoon to night. There were staff in purple standing around the ticket barriers in their usual positions, not sure what they were doing though!

 

[Silver Cobra]

Travelling with LNER, Greater Anglia, Southeastern and Southern over the last two weeks, I can say that during most of those journeys I did have my ticket checked by the train manager/guard/OBS. One main notable exception was with LNER this past Saturday when travelling from Stevenage to York and returning later in the day. In both directions, no ticket check took place (the train managers of both services never announced they were doing any ticket checks at any point and I never saw them pass through the train). Both of the journeys were on the York stopping services, so I guess they felt there wasn't enough time between any stops to do a ticket check.

 

[Kite159]

Last few days spent in the North West.

Heading to Crewe had a ticket check on the LNwR service before Rugby but after the staff change no further sightings of the guard. Nothing coming back from Crewe today.
SWR on all 3 trains, the guard even caught someone out who didn't have a ticket [he was on the train when it arrived at Clapham from Waterloo]

Northern, excluding short journeys, have been around 50%. More noticeable during the day, later on it dropped down. That 50% excludes any trains taken for short journeys or when I was in the front unit.

I had to laugh on Sunday morning when I arrived at Manchester from Stockport, went into an unbarriered platform but there was revenue staff guarding a couple of the entrances leaving the other entrances wide open

 

[Chriso]

Total luxury with 350409 on the 18:01 Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey. Gates open at Watford Junction but full check by guard onboard on leaving Garston. Interesting to see a security guard also on board

 

[Falcon1200]

0632 Oxford-Paddington today, barriers open at both ends; but tickets were checked on the train !

 

[py_megapixel]

A couple of short Northern journeys today (by which I mean 5-10 minutes each) and checked by the conductor on both of them.

 

[Chriso]

Pp

0632 Oxford-Paddington today, barriers open at both ends; but tickets were checked on the train !

Seems the pingdemic must be affecting GWR gateline staff as there normally pretty good. On most operators down Sarf I’m normally surprised when their open Mon - Fri unless South Eastern who seem to actively promote a free railway with their lacklustre and lazy approach to everything. Management can’t even staff all of the London Bridge gatelines most of the time rendering the whole operation pointless and now fron my expectations the guards have given up on tickets making the mainline as bad as the metro with hardly any gate use . P**s poor on every level and the worst example of the UK rail network. Using them is also depressing whether lack of staff or anti social behaviour the network has little security and it seems the weak management are allowing all of the problems of the metro to spread to the rest of the network

 

[Grumpus63]

Today another journey from Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton, returning to Welshpool.

Shrewsbury remains a good barrier-controlled station (unless you are using Platform 3). It is consistently adequately staffed and there is a separate booth that has been installed to enable passengers to pay for their fares when facilities were not available at source or on the train. A mobile team of Revenue Protection personnel were in place at Wellington. Open barriers at Wolverhampton at usual. No on-board check on the train which was full to standing middle of the day.

On the return leg the 16.44 arrived as two units coupled together, one of which was not suitable for the Cambrian Main Line west of Shrewsbury. I got in the part that was compatible. Open barriers still at Wolverhampton, the Revenue Portection activities were still taking place at Wellington and at Shrewsbury we were twenty minutes late leaving due to uncoupling, coupling up a set that had just arrived from the coast and was being reversed short, and waiting for that crew. Then the conductor in this service for the remaining leg to Welshpool was THOROUGH. Railcards were requested to support tickets consistently and he was doing his job in textbook fashion. Very commendable indeed, indeed one of the best I have seen. Encouragingly everyone that I saw had a valid ticket for travel in a busy carriage.

Train usage now seems to be at pre-pandemic levels or so it seemed today.

 

[Kite159]

From the last weekend

GWR was around 50%, notable that as the evening drew on the fewer the checks became
SWR was around 50%, nothing on a Southampton -Weymouth service until after Wareham. One guard was very thorough with railcards & tickets
Nothing on the XC 170 (non-stop from Gloucester to Newport)

And it was good to see the guards on the TfW Rail service from Gloucester towards Chepstow making an appearance

 

[Falcon1200]

Seems the pingdemic must be affecting GWR gateline staff as there normally pretty good.

The barriers at Oxford are often open first thing, but I was surprised that those at Paddington (on the mid-platform bridge) were open too, at 0725 on a Monday !

 

[ValleyLines142]

Very nice to see ticket checks upon departing Gloucester on a Maesteg service. First time I've had one on TfW since the start of the pandemic.

 

[Jamesrob637]

RPIs in the front unit of the 08:02 Hazel Grove to Blackpool North this week between Stockport and Manchester as well as on the platform at Heaton Chapel yesterday only (we'll see tomorrow).

 

[LowLevel]

Did a lot of trains yesterday. Gripping was quite good.

EMR to Sheffield - checked in first.

XC Sheffield to Leeds - no check.

Northern Leeds to Hebden Bridge - checked by a very friendly and efficient conductor who was a credit to the grade - constantly bouncing up and down his 158 checking tickets and helping people but without causing any delay with slow doors. Great work.

Northern Hebden Bridge to Preston - very busy with Blackpoolites but still gripped.

TPE Preston to Manchester - checked

TPE Manchester Piccadilly to Huddersfield - checked again on a very busy train

TPE Huddersfield to Leeds - no check

XC Leeds to Derby - checked.

Also station checks at Hebden Bridge, Leeds, Manchester, Preston, Huddersfield.

All crew I encountered gave a great impression and the trains were pleasingly busy.

 

[NoMorePacers]

Some notes from four days of travel:

16/8
Hull - Sheffield (Northern): checked before Brough
Sheffield - New Street (XC): checked between Chesterfield and Derby
New Street - Shrewsbury (TfW): checked between Smethwick and Wolverhampton
Shrewsbury - Swansea (TfW): checked between Craven Arms and Broome, then by second guard after Llandrindod, then by third guard after Llanelli
Swansea - Cardiff (GWR): nothing
Cardiff - Ebbw Vale (TfW): checked by revenue staff on entrance to Cardiff P0, then checked by guard between Rogerstone and Risca
Ebbw Vale - Cardiff (TfW): checked after Ebbw Vale Parkway
Cardiff - Penarth (TfW): nothing
Penarth - Cardiff (TfW): nothing
Cardiff - Aberdare (TfW): nothing
Aberdare - Cardiff (TfW): nothing
Cardiff - Energlyn (TfW): checked between Llanishen and Lisvane & Thornhill

17/8
Energlyn - Cardiff (TfW): checked between Lisvane & Thornhill and Llanishen (quite impressive from the guard given the train was full and standing)
Cardiff - Newport (GWR): nothing
Newport - Swansea (GWR): nothing
Swansea - Fishguard (TfW): checked between Swansea and Llanelli
Fishguard - Cardiff (TfW): checked after Fishguard & Goodwick, checked again after Carmarthen by replacement guard
Cardiff - Merthyr (TfW): checked between Llandaf and Radyr
Merthyr - Pontypridd (TfW): nothing
Pontypridd - Treherbert (TfW): nothing
Treherbert - Cardiff (TfW): checked between Tonypandy and Dinas Rhondda
Cardiff - Penarth (TfW): nothing
Penarth - Energlyn (TfW): nothing

18/8
Energlyn - Cardiff (TfW): checked between Caerphilly and Lisvane & Thornhill
Cardiff - Newport (XC): nothing
Newport- Cardiff (XC): nothing
Cardiff - Taffs Well (TfW): checked between Cathays and Llandaf
Taffs Well - Cardiff (TfW): guard was out doing tickets but didn't reach me in time
Cardiff - Newport (XC): nothing
Newport - Cardiff (GWR): nothing
Cardiff - Risca (TfW): checked between Cardiff and Pye Corner
Risca - Cardiff (TfW): checked between Risca and Rogerstone
Cardiff - Bridgend (TfW): nothing
Bridgend - Cardiff (TfW): checked between Pontyclun and Cardiff
Cardiff - Newport (GWR): nothing
Newport - Cardiff (TfW): nothing
Cardiff - Bridgend (TfW): nothing
Bridgend - Newport (TfW): checked between Pontyclun and Cardiff
Newport - Cardiff (GWR): nothing
Cardiff - Taffs Well (TfW): checked between Cathays and Llandaf
Taffs Well - Cardiff (TfW): checked between Radyr and Llandaf
Cardiff - Bridgend (TfW): nothing
Bridgend - Cardiff (TfW): nothing
Cardiff - Newport (GWR): checked
Newport - Cardiff (GWR): nothing
Cardiff - Newport (GWR): nothing
Newport - Cardiff (GWR): nothing
Cardiff - Carmarthen (TfW): no ticket check although the guard came through after Llanelli asking for destination stations

19/8
Carmarthen - Crewe (TfW): no ticket check although guards came through asking if request stops were wanted
Crewe - Chester (TfW): nothing
Chester - Manchester (Northern): nothing although was sat in front set
Manchester - Leeds (TPE): checked between Piccadilly and Stalybridge
Leeds - Hull (Northern): checked between Leeds and Cross Gates

All in all, was very good to see TfW doing revenue duties again, seems like normality is getting closer.

 

[ValleyLines142]

All in all, was very good to see TfW doing revenue duties again, seems like normality is getting closer.

About time really. I dread to think how much revenue has been lost as a result of them refusing to do checks. I wonder what was preventing them from doing so when many other TOCs have done for several months now.

 

[Kite159]

Yesterday only 1 check on GWR services (out of 11), nothing on SWR

Today it's been 3 checks out of 4 on GWR & 2 out of 3 on TfW Rail