Has a Ticket Examiner ever been left behind?

[MikePJ]

As a schoolboy in the early 90s, I was on a Waterloo-bound slam-door train leaving Fratton when I saw a uniformed figure running alongside the train, shouting "pull the cord" and miming a pulling action. I stood up and actually got my hand around the chain before my caution got the better of me - £50 was a lot of money if that man *wasn't* a member of railway staff. The train stopped at Hilsea and about 20 minutes later a slightly breathless voice came on saying "This is your guard speaking - sorry for the delay, the train left me behind and it took me ages to get here in a taxi!". When he later came round to check tickets I apologised to him for not stopping the train (he wasn't angry about it) but I kicked myself for ages for not having actually taken the legitimate opportunity to pull the forbidden chain!

 

[sir_gummerz]

I've seen a first class host get left on the platform at bristol temple meads, they are ment to get out at every stop to greet first class passengers and this one must have lost track of time

 

[Benjwri]

I've seen a first class host get left on the platform at bristol temple meads, they are ment to get out at every stop to greet first class passengers and this one must have lost track of time

They’re meant to get out and greet passengers? I travel on GWR regularly and have never seen one do this.

 

[Carlisle]

They’re meant to get out and greet passengers? I travel on GWR regularly and have never seen one do this.

I think your right, I believe they’re simply meant to check if additional 1st class passengers are joining

 

[Edsmith]

I seem to recall an incident a few years ago where a Southeastern guard was left behind at Otford after getting off the train to assist a passenger and the driver closed the doors and departed blissfully unaware.

I suppose a revenue inspector being left behind wouldn't matter too much, wouldn't they just get the next train or call for a taxi?

 

[stadler]

I seem to recall an incident a few years ago where a Southeastern guard was left behind at Otford after getting off the train to assist a passenger and the driver closed the doors and departed blissfully unaware.

I suppose a revenue inspector being left behind wouldn't matter too much, wouldn't they just get the next train or call for a taxi?

That has actually happened dozens of times. At least once every year or two that seems to happen. The issue is that Southeastern guards only despatch at Kemsing / Farningham Road / Hildenborough and stations towards the Kent area. They remain onboard but the driver does the doors and self despatches at Otford / Swanley / Sevenoaks and stations towards the London area. Ideally they should still be turning their key switch on if they step on to the platform to assist a passenger (this prevents their local door from closing when the driver closes the doors) but many never bother to. There has also been a couple of instances of trains leaving London without a guard (due to staff unavailability) but it was not properly communicated and it does not get noticed until the train gets to Kemsing / Farningham Road / Hildenborough and there is nobody to despatch.

 

[Trackman]

I seem to recall an incident a few years ago where a Southeastern guard was left behind at Otford after getting off the train to assist a passenger and the driver closed the doors and departed blissfully unaware.

I suppose a revenue inspector being left behind wouldn't matter too much, wouldn't they just get the next train or call for a taxi?

I thought there was protocol in place to stop this kind of thing happening.

 

[sh24]

They’re meant to get out and greet passengers? I travel on GWR regularly and have never seen one do this.

A few do this routinely. It's a very nice touch. Someone from the London based Pullman crew will always be on hand to say goodbye at Paddington.

 

[LickeyIncliner]

A few do this routinely. It's a very nice touch. Someone from the London based Pullman crew will always be on hand to say goodbye at Paddington.

When GNER were operating the ECML, it seemed to be a standard drill that the staff working in first class would step onto the platform to thank alighting passengers and greet those boarding. As you say, it was a nice touch; it also helped to make sure people were boarding the right coach, the right end of the train or indeed the right train at all.

 

[stadler]

I thought there was protocol in place to stop this kind of thing happening.

There is a protocol that guards are supposed to put their key in the panel and switch it on when assiating passengers on the platform at driver despatch stations. This means that the guards local door will remain open if the driver closes the doors. However not all guards follow this. Some provide assistance on the platform and forget to put their key in. Also sometimes there might be a passenger quite a few carriages down so they will leave their door and walk along the platform and forget to key in first. So yes there is a protocol but some guards forget and then it results in them being left behind if the driver is unaware. Alternatively they also have the ability to contact the driver on the handset but again many never bother to do so.

 

[GordonT]

So yes there is a protocol but some guards forget and then it results in them being left behind if the driver is unaware. Alternatively they also have the ability to contact the driver on the handset but again many never bother to do so.

Are drivers other than those on DOO no longer required to await a Buzz Buzz (or a Ding Ding where applicable) and acknowledge it by repetition before proceeding?

 

[tram21]

Are drivers other than those on DOO no longer required to await a Buzz Buzz (or a Ding Ding where applicable) and acknowledge it by repetition before proceeding?

Not when they are self-dispatching

 

[stadler]

Are drivers other than those on DOO no longer required to await a Buzz Buzz (or a Ding Ding where applicable) and acknowledge it by repetition before proceeding?

Only at stations between Kemsing / Farningham Road / Hildenborough and Kent are they required to await two bells and repeat them back. At stations between Otford / Swanley / Sevenoaks and London they just self despatch with no input from the guard and no bells used. The guard is still onboard but they have no involvement in despatch or operating the doors whilst in the London area. Southeastern introduced an odd method when the Electrostar trains were introduced that meant that the services are effectively DOO but with a guard still onboard while in the London area and then change to traditional guard operation with bells once they reach the boundary stations just outside of the London area.

 

[Edsmith]

That has actually happened dozens of times. At least once every year or two that seems to happen. The issue is that Southeastern guards only despatch at Kemsing / Farningham Road / Hildenborough and stations towards the Kent area. They remain onboard but the driver does the doors and self despatches at Otford / Swanley / Sevenoaks and stations towards the London area. Ideally they should still be turning their key switch on if they step on to the platform to assist a passenger (this prevents their local door from closing when the driver closes the doors) but many never bother to. There has also been a couple of instances of trains leaving London without a guard (due to staff unavailability) but it was not properly communicated and it does not get noticed until the train gets to Kemsing / Farningham Road / Hildenborough and there is nobody to despatch.

All sounds quite comical really, guards often seem to stay in the back cab out of the way until reaching the point where they have to despatch.

So would the driver have to get out the cab and close the doors if they arrive at Kemsing etc and realise there's no guard on board and no cameras, mirrors etc?

 

[stadler]

All sounds quite comical really, guards often seem to stay in the back cab out of the way until reaching the point where they have to despatch.

So would the driver have to get out the cab and close the doors if they arrive at Kemsing etc and realise there's no guard on board and no cameras, mirrors etc?

If they arrive at Kemsing or Farningham Road or Hildenborough and there is no guard onboard then the policy is that all passengers must be made to alight from the train. The driver then closes all the doors himself and walks through and checks that the train is empty and the doors are safely closed and then departs as an ECS move. Typically it might go ECS to Ashford or Maidstone or Tonbridge or Gillingham or Faversham or wherever they can find a spare guard and then re enter service there with a new guard boarding. But unfortunately without a guard all existing passengers have to be kicked off and made to wait for the next train. It only happens around once every year or two so it is not that common but it is still quite poor that they can not come up with a better system to prevent this.

 

[dk1]

Are drivers other than those on DOO no longer required to await a Buzz Buzz (or a Ding Ding where applicable) and acknowledge it by repetition before proceeding?

We are DCO operated. Only time we depart on buzz-buzz is when degraded and the guard closes the doors. They must inform us in normal working that they are onboard approximately 3 minutes before departure.

 

[Edsmith]

If they arrive at Kemsing or Farningham Road or Hildenborough and there is no guard onboard then the policy is that all passengers must be made to alight from the train. The driver then closes all the doors himself and walks through and checks that the train is empty and the doors are safely closed and then departs as an ECS move. Typically it might go ECS to Ashford or Maidstone or Tonbridge or Gillingham or Faversham or wherever they can find a spare guard and then re enter service there with a new guard boarding. But unfortunately without a guard all existing passengers have to be kicked off and made to wait for the next train. It only happens around once every year or two so it is not that common but it is still quite poor that they can not come up with a better system to prevent this.

I can't imagine passengers being very happy about being turfed off at somewhere like Kemsing in the wind and rain. What if it was the last train of the day?

 

[GordonT]

I can't imagine passengers being very happy about being turfed off at somewhere like Kemsing in the wind and rain. What if it was the last train of the day?

The whole concept of complete journeys being neither fish nor fowl (neither wholly DOO nor wholly conductor operation) seems somewhat cockeyed.

 

[trainbow]

When GNER were operating the ECML, it seemed to be a standard drill that the staff working in first class would step onto the platform to thank alighting passengers and greet those boarding. As you say, it was a nice touch; it also helped to make sure people were boarding the right coach, the right end of the train or indeed the right train at all.

On LNER today, all staff, first and standard class catering, and any staff travelling on board (including managers) are meant to be on the platform at a customer door at every stop to greet customers and provide assistance if needed.

In practice usually only staff on shift do it, but I have seen David Horne do so multiple times.