Strange ticket check on trip Nottingham to Wymondham (Norwich train)

[duffield]

On Saturday 23rd August I was heading off to the Mid Norflok Railway's beer and music festival at Wynmondham and caught 1L02 0608 Nottingham to Ely (normal destination Norwich, truncated at Ely due to a points failure at Peterbrough, but that's beside the point).

At Nottingham, the guard opened one door, and checked all tickets on the platform as we handful of passangers boarded. He then did normal ticket checks on board at the joourney progressed.

I've had my tiket checked on the platform while changing trains before, but revenue inspectors, but I have never had a boarding check like this before (including when getting the exact same train on other occasions). It seems very unusual and I wondered if anyone had any ideas about the purpose?

The only theory I had was that because the unit was sat right in front of another unit, which was going to Worksop shortly after we left (with both units in the centre part of Nottingham P3), the guard was trying to make sure we were on the right service, so he could tell people to wait on the platform if they wanted the Worksop service. Is that likely?

 

[Kite159]

Or the guard knows that revenue protection at Nottingham has more holes than swiss cheese and was being proactive in checking people had valid tickets for that service before they could board.

 

[duffield]

Or the guard knows that revenue protection at Nottingham has more holes than swiss cheese and was being proactive in checking people had valid tickets for that service before they could board.

Still not sure why that merited a boarding check for the six-odd people joining at Nottingham rather than the normal onboard checks everyone else got who boarded at any other station, barriers or not.

It's not that I mind; I was just totally surprised by something I've never seen in an entire lifetime of extensive rail travel including 40 years of using Nottingham station.

I'm still more inclined to go for the "wrong train" theory. Now I think about it, I believe I did see a couple of people wandering up and down the platform peering quizzically at the Worksop and Norwich trains.

 

[Kite159]

Still not sure why that merited a boarding check for the six-odd people joining at Nottingham rather than the normal onboard checks everyone else got who boarded at any other station, barriers or not.

Easier to decline travel for anybody without tickets before they board the train.

 

[Jan Mayen]

Back in the day when Gatwick Express ran from Victoria overnight, the On Board Staff would (sometimes) do a ticket check at the barrier. This avoided having an argument on the train, and allowed the customer to wait for the Southern train should they wish (this was before Gatwick Express and Southern were both run by GTR)

 

[Travelmonkey]

Or the guard knows that revenue protection at Nottingham has more holes than swiss cheese and was being proactive in checking people had valid tickets for that service before they could board.

The joys of having a public right of way slicing through the centre of the station.

Likely though in this case its a bit of both. Easier to make sure people get where they need to go from platform then when traveling.

 

[LowLevel]

We do it all the time at Nottingham especially on a Saturday morning when all sorts of waifs and strays are wandering about. Depends on the guard but plenty do it on the early morning departures on all days of the week.

Allows you to leave problems on the platform rather than try to deal with them on the train.

If you turn up for the 0521 Liverpool you'll see that one being "gripped" on the doors more often than not. XC guards also quite often do it on the 0600 Birmingham.

 

[duffield]

We do it all the time at Nottingham especially on a Saturday morning when all sorts of waifs and strays are wandering about. Depends on the guard but plenty do it on the early morning departures on all days of the week.

Allows you to leave problems on the platform rather than try to deal with them on the train.

If you turn up for the 0521 Liverpool you'll see that one being "gripped" on the doors more often than not. XC guards also quite often do it on the 0600 Birmingham.

Thanks, it all makes sense now. And if Saturday morning is a particular target that would explain why I haven't seen this before - I quite often travel early, but very rarely on Saturdays. I guess on Saturday morning the "waifs and strays" you're dealing with have been at it Friday night and well into the small hours and so may not have much clue even where they are let alone how to get to their destination.

I was naively thinking that at 0600 everyone would be sober, probably have a ticket and know where they were going!