"Duty" to seek out the guard (again!)

[sarahj]

I'd pay good money to watch fifty people braying on the guard's cab door demanding to be sold a ticket immediately. I'd pay even more money to watch the guard only open the local door at each station and check and sell tickets before departure.

After all, Northern have clearly stated they are now the rules.

I've not had fifty, but I've had a good number queuing at my back cab door on a 313 waiting to buy tickets. A good example is London Rd (2 mins) Moulsecoombe (3 mins) Falmer. I've never sent anyone away, only rule keep out the cab. I've said it before, we get folks who come to you and buy, and others who see you, head to the other end and hold a £20 praying you wont make it to them. BTW. These are on lines that all have a ticket machine and many with staffed ticket offices.

 

[northwichcat]

It's strange that there is a poster like that at Wilmslow, which is well-staffed. I haven't seen any at the local stations on that line, the majority of which have very restricted facilities.

If NRE is correct the ticket office hours for Wilmslow are:
Monday 05:45 - 20:00
Tuesday - Friday 06:00 - 20:00
Saturday 07:00 - 20:00
Sunday Closed

Wilmslow definitely has services outside the hours of the ticket office and on Monday the ticket office opens 2 minutes before the first train. While TVMs can provide some tickets the Northern ones can't sell tickets like the TfGM Wayfarer or through tickets to Metrolink stops.

 

[323235]

Still not going to guarantee they get to you.

More likely than at present if you strip out the door operations and the new Avantix replacement is slicker and faster. A guard can easily get down most of a busy train between Poynton and Manchester if they spend the entire time doing revenue, however many drop off after Stockport.

 

[miami]

If NRE is correct the ticket office hours for Wilmslow are:
Monday 05:45 - 20:00
Tuesday - Friday 06:00 - 20:00
Saturday 07:00 - 20:00
Sunday Closed

Yet at 17.10 the window was closed with a note in the window saying "Closed until 1800, buy ticket on train".

However the leaflet looks permanently attached.

Wilmslow definitely has services outside the hours of the ticket office and on Monday the ticket office opens 2 minutes before the first train. While TVMs can provide some tickets the Northern ones can't sell tickets like the TfGM Wayfarer or through tickets to Metrolink stops.

I don't think the TDMs at Wilmslow actually take cash

 

[sheff1]

I'd pay good money to watch fifty people braying on the guard's cab door demanding to be sold a ticket immediately. I'd pay even more money to watch the guard only open the local door at each station and check and sell tickets before departure.

I would love to see this on the Hope Valley line. The delay minutes on the first Saturday it was done would be phenomenal (including to the following TPE & EMT fast trains as well as the Northern stoppers).

Maybe a guard on their last day before quitting the job might take up the challenge !

 

[northwichcat]

Maybe a guard on their last day before quitting the job might take up the challenge !

After asking passengers to queue up in order of price of ticket they want to purchase (most expensive first)?

 

[ANorthernGuard]

Around half of guards come through the train after Mauldeth Road going towards Manchester. What exactly you're supposed to do if they don't is unknown.

It's strange that there is a poster like that at Wilmslow, which is well-staffed. I haven't seen any at the local stations on that line, the majority of which have very restricted facilities.

The reason we do is quite simply so we dont delay the train in between the 90 or so seconds between stops on that stretch of line. A delay on that line causes a severe knock on effect.

 

[northwichcat]

I don't think the TDMs at Wilmslow actually take cash

Do they have this type of TVM: http://www.mcrua.org.uk/chairmansblog/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/2012-03-05_11.52.jpg ? If so they should accept cash.

This type: http://www.mcrua.org.uk/chairmansblog/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/2012-03-05_11.14.jpg (card only) is only supposed to be at stations which aren't staffed at all or have morning only ticket offices.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

More likely than at present if you strip out the door operations and the new Avantix replacement is slicker and faster. A guard can easily get down most of a busy train between Poynton and Manchester if they spend the entire time doing revenue, however many drop off after Stockport.

No chance during peak time, heck we cant even get through some trains.

 

[exile]

If there is a guard on the train, on most journeys that would count as adequate facilities for most tickets and payment types, I would have thought.

Not if the guard is not selling tickets

Basically, too many people make excuses for the "Pay when challenged" brigade, as the last few posts show. Talk about "Paytrains" is another red herring - how long ago did they go out? Over ten, I know that.

Well we still have them round here! Given that the stations are unstaffed and don't have machines,