ATW two guards on Borderlands line

[emoaconr]

Probably barely even news, but I've never known ATW to do this so...

I have noticed that twice in the last week ATW have had two guards on the 150s on the Wrexham-Bidston line. Its probably the worst line I know of for fare dodging; there aren't any ticket barriers and no ticket buying facilities with the exception of Wrexham Central, General, Shotton and Bidston. Its very rarely passengers get charged between some of stations because they're so close together.

Only other TOC I know that has 2+ guards is Merseyrail.

 

[northwichcat]

Northern have used 2 guards on some Manchester-Chester via Altrincham services. Although some people refer to it as one guard and one additional fare revenue collector.

 

[scotsman]

GNER used to have 3 Guards on the 1730 ex-Waverley because of the amount of passengers on it going to Dunbar (20 mins)

 

[Z12XE]

Sudbury services have 2 guards in the morning peak else it would be impossible to sell tickets to more than a 3rd of the passengers, been that case for about 10 years now

 

[Mojo]

The Severn Beach line is booked to have a conductor and an ATE on certain morning trains.

 

[175001]

We have diagrams at Man Vic, like other depots, where we act as Second Guards, we are mostly found on 4 car Huddersfield peak services to work the method of work we have in the morning for stopping at Mossley.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Sudbury services have 2 guards in the morning peak else it would be impossible to sell tickets to more than a 3rd of the passengers, been that case for about 10 years now

Sudbury of course being the busiest unmanned station in the East

 

[andchafri]

Probably barely even news, but I've never known ATW to do this so...

I have noticed that twice in the last week ATW have had two guards on the 150s on the Wrexham-Bidston line. Its probably the worst line I know of for fare dodging; there aren't any ticket barriers and no ticket buying facilities with the exception of Wrexham Central, General, Shotton and Bidston. Its very rarely passengers get charged between some of stations because they're so close together.

Only other TOC I know that has 2+ guards is Merseyrail.

Southeasterns Medway Valley line trains are worked by a conductor and a customer service assisant. Of 13 stations served only Strood and Paddock Wood have full booking facilities. Maidstone West TO is early turn only.

 

[Greenback]

ATW certainly used to have both a guard and an ATE on some Valleys trains. (I havenlt been up the valleys this year!)

 

[First class]

Probably barely even news, but I've never known ATW to do this so...

I have noticed that twice in the last week ATW have had two guards on the 150s on the Wrexham-Bidston line. Its probably the worst line I know of for fare dodging; there aren't any ticket barriers and no ticket buying facilities with the exception of Wrexham Central, General, Shotton and Bidston. Its very rarely passengers get charged between some of stations because they're so close together.

Only other TOC I know that has 2+ guards is Merseyrail.

Merseyrail NEVER have more than one guard.

The other staff are the Revenue Protection Inspectors who can issue Penalty Fares of PACE as required.

 

[emoaconr]

Merseyrail NEVER have more than one guard.

The other staff are the Revenue Protection Inspectors who can issue Penalty Fares of PACE as required.

Yes. RPIs do not sell tickets. Probably the most appropriate suit-all word would be somebody who either sells or checks tickets but may or may not have guard duties.

As for the Valleys, I think they've often got 2+ staff because of the Pacers with no corridor connection. Most I've seen is 3 down there I think.

 

[Greenback]

Yes. RPIs do not sell tickets. Probably the most appropriate suit-all word would be somebody who either sells or checks tickets but may or may not have guard duties.

As for the Valleys, I think they've often got 2+ staff because of the Pacers with no corridor connection. Most I've seen is 3 down there I think.

That's right, they're used on some of the doubled up services, but by no means all of them.

 

[Gareth Marston]

Certain services on Cambrian Coast in summer carry 2 guards also.

 

[HSTfan!!!]

ATW certainly used to have both a guard and an ATE on some Valleys trains. (I havenlt been up the valleys this year!)

Yep still plenty of ATE's about, plenty of money to be made on the Ebbw runs for example!

 

[boing_uk]

There are often two guards on the BPS to PRE leg of the Colne service, more often than not sharing the duties.

 

[Chew Chew]

I wish they'd do that on the morning trains into Aberdeen.

Loads of times I've ended up waiting about 10 minutes in Aberdeen station for a ticket as the guard only gives tickets to those who get on at the doors where he is and never gets down the train as it is so busy.

 

[chief74]

Probably barely even news, but I've never known ATW to do this so...

I have noticed that twice in the last week ATW have had two guards on the 150s on the Wrexham-Bidston line. Its probably the worst line I know of for fare dodging; there aren't any ticket barriers and no ticket buying facilities with the exception of Wrexham Central, General, Shotton and Bidston. Its very rarely passengers get charged between some of stations because they're so close together.

Only other TOC I know that has 2+ guards is Merseyrail.

i was a conductor on wrexham to bidston line for nearly 10 years & in that time we never had 2 guards on, there is fare dodging between gwersyllt & wrexham on busy train but rest of line was o.k, there is alot more fare dodging going on between runcorn east & warrington bank quay, fare collection was made much easier when the 150/2s were put on there. i was also a guard on merseyrail & when i was there we never had 2 guards on but we did get rpi/afc,s

 

[Scotrail84]

Do ATW not have a guard and a security guard on late night valley line trains?

 

[185]

If there's more than one on the Bidstons, it may have been a guard in training, I always thought Chester depot were pretty short staffed. It's a good route for new guards, lots of practice on the doors every 2 mins.

 

[cymro inside]

if there are lots of spare guards at Chester they will send some out to assist on
busy trains such as 0740 ctr to man picc also if any guards are medically restricted they will be sent to assist as well working as an ate in effect.

 

[emoaconr]

i was a conductor on wrexham to bidston line for nearly 10 years & in that time we never had 2 guards on, there is fare dodging between gwersyllt & wrexham on busy train but rest of line was o.k, there is alot more fare dodging going on between runcorn east & warrington bank quay, fare collection was made much easier when the 150/2s were put on there. i was also a guard on merseyrail & when i was there we never had 2 guards on but we did get rpi/afc,s

I frequently travel between Gwersyllt and Wrexham, and guards simply just don't get through the entire train. Indeed half the time I've travelled, they don't even bother at all. Its very rare I am able to pay a fare into Wrexham, though I always purchase a single going back since there is now a ticket machine in Wrexham Central. I'd say eight times out of ten most fares are not collected from Gwersyllt.

 

[Nick O. Teen]

I work the North Downs route from Reading to Gatport Airwick. Some of the stations are only 2-3 minutes apart, so it's simply not physically possible to get through an entire stopping train in morning peak-time, especially if it's a 3-car.

With many of the stations unmanned, and platform ticket machines set to accept cards only, (when they're working, that is) we rely on the honest customers to cough up voluntarily.

Owing to sickness or A/L, there are very few spare turns in our link, so to get assistance from a colleague is rare.

Assisting Conductors are sometimes rostered to work HSTs, but we poor Turbo men have to slog on alone!

 

[AlexS]

London Midland have ATEs for busy routes as well as RPIs - the famous Mr Granville at Shrewsbury and an excellent bloke who has been round for a few years called Rob at Telford are two I know fairly well (Rob has been working the trains since before I was born, so has now gone from selling my mother tickets to take me to Telford Park in the early 1990s in my pushchair to selling me tickets for my early morning commute into work as a twenty something :P ) and they have also been known to book 2 guards on the busiest trains. There was also a medically restricted New Street guard who did permanently earlies selling tickets for a while. It's amazing how the staff and passengers get to know each other particularly when you catch the same trains 5 days a week, despite this modern world's reputation for no one ever talking to each other!

 

[WestCoast]

TPE often have a revenue assistant on busy services and where high levels of fare dodging is known to occur. I've seen them on Preston - Manchester and Liverpool - Warrington - Manchester.

 

[185]

Supposed to be an RPA on double unit TPE sets.... thats if they turn up.

Makes me laugh how stupid TPE are. Assumin each RPA takes £500 on their machine each day, an RPA pays for themself in maybe 3 months each year. The company is reluctant to pay out for them, incase it costs them money. Thats what happens when accountants from the bus industry run train companies. :roll: