Late Night Ticket Checks

[Butts]

Travelling on the last service of the day from Haymarket (where the barriers were open) to Falkirk Grahamston 2338 on Scotrail last night I was surprised there was a ticket check.

This has never happened when I have caught the service before even though it is only 3 Carriages.

Are ticket checks a regular feature on other operators last services of the day ?

 

[Buzby]

I’ve had them often - you’re talking of a standard check, not an RPI one? It’s usually the guard in between his door duties.

 

[Butts]

I’ve had them often - you’re talking of a standard check, not an RPI one? It’s usually the guard in between his door duties.

Indeed, the latter.

 

[Buzby]

There was a letter in the Scotsman (around 5 years ago) pointing out the open barriers at Haymarket, but not Waverley. That there was no ticket check and no barriers at stations between Croy and Bishopbriggs (where many switched to the stopper) - rather than face the barriers at Queen Street. It suggested the Guards were being ‘lazy’.

Shortly thereafter the checks were around 95% this has fallen back a little but has been consistent and I now expect a check whereas previously I didn’t. Perhaps some folk still prefer chancing it?

 

[Horizon22]

Indeed, the latter.

Just a proactive guard I guess.

Obviously late nights can be a bit more…rowdy sometimes and you can understand some train crew also being more cautious.

In my part of the world there’s a lot of DOO services so on-train checks are normally revenue protection which means that late at night these checks are almost non-existent as revenue staff don’t tend to be rostered beyond 2200.

 

[styles]

On the Borders Railway, there's a check on almost every service in my experience, unless it's so busy that the guard can't get through easily.

 

[Butts]

There was a letter in the Scotsman (around 5 years ago) pointing out the open barriers at Haymarket, but not Waverley. That there was no ticket check and no barriers at stations between Croy and Bishopbriggs (where many switched to the stopper) - rather than face the barriers at Queen Street. It suggested the Guards were being ‘lazy’.

Shortly thereafter the checks were around 95% this has fallen back a little but has been consistent and I now expect a check whereas previously I didn’t. Perhaps some folk still prefer chancing it?

To be fair the barriers were opened at 2330 - watched it happen.

 

[Russel]

Scotrail do seem more proactive at ticket checks that English TOCs I've noticed.

 

[185143]

I got my ticket checked at Botanic (Belfast) by a seemingly lone working member of staff at nearly 23:00 on Wednesday. That took me be surprise somewhat!

 

[sad1e]

Scotrail do seem more proactive at ticket checks that English TOCs I've noticed.

Definitely, on my short 2 day trip in Edinburgh and Glasgow i got my ticket checked on almost every train i took.

Meanwhile on Thameslink in London I've got my ticket checked once in 7 years of regularly getting it.

 

[Russel]

Definitely, on my short 2 day trip in Edinburgh and Glasgow i got my ticket checked on almost every train i took.

Meanwhile on Thameslink in London I've got my ticket checked once in 7 years of regularly getting it.

Pretty much my experience too, I travelled up to Edinburgh from the Midlands on XC earlier this year with only 1 ticket check on leaving Derby then nothing for the rest of the journey and nothing at all on the way back, then ticket checks on almost every Scotrail service with the exception of a couple of trips I did between Glasgow Central and Partick, which is fair given the short distances between stops...

Wasn't asked to produce my railcard at all though, but that is the same south of the border too.

I didn't condone it, but I fully get why fare evasion is rife in a lot of areas.

 

[Horizon22]

Definitely, on my short 2 day trip in Edinburgh and Glasgow i got my ticket checked on almost every train i took.

Meanwhile on Thameslink in London I've got my ticket checked once in 7 years of regularly getting it.

Well Thameslink is a DOO service of course so unless you've got revenue protection staff on board your particular train, it won't be checked. Even then, they might not get around to you if there is an irregularity. Their focus is more on gateline operations.

 

[Siemens Trains]

Travelling on the last service of the day from Haymarket (where the barriers were open) to Falkirk Grahamston 2338 on Scotrail last night I was surprised there was a ticket check.

This has never happened when I have caught the service before even though it is only 3 Carriages.

Are ticket checks a regular feature on other operators last services of the day ?

Occasionally Sundays to Thursdays on Fife-bound services but it's not very common and I'm only making the short journey to Dalmeny.

Nearly everyone at that time of night will be using the return portion of a ticket that was close to the same price as a single, and their outward portion would have been necessary on arrival at gated stations. So there's little benefit in dodging the fare.

Only been asked to show my old folk's railcard a couple of times in 5 years. I must have either an honest or very mature-looking face.

 

[DelW]

Scotrail do seem more proactive at ticket checks that English TOCs I've noticed.

Twenty-odd years ago, I used to travel regularly between Argyle Street or Central LL and Exhibition Centre late in the evening. It was only about a five-minute journey but my tickets were checked more often than not.

Most of the guards were middle aged Glaswegian ladies and I got the clear impression that they weren't going to be putting up with any sort of misbehaviour on their trains. I certainly wouldn't have wanted to fall foul of them!

 

[Buzby]

Most of the guards were middle aged Glaswegian ladies and I got the clear impression that they weren't going to be putting up with any sort of misbehaviour on their trains. I certainly wouldn't ha

Perhaps the daughters of the clippies on the Glasgow Trams?

 

[185]

To be fair the barriers were opened at 2330 - watched it happen.

Our absent friends from BTP, the only protection staff have should bear some blame for this. I thought Scotland's attempt to shut BTP down would have served as a fair warning - putting an end to fair weather railway policing.

You're more likely to be arrested for stealing a bagel from Upper Crust at 8am than smashing a station up anytime after sunset.

 

[fisher2511]

Catching a train into Glasgow Central can be really annoying if the ticket inspector stays in the back cab for the entire journey. I travel from a unstaffed station with no ticket machine, and if I can’t buy a ticket on the train, I have to queue up to buy a ticket to exit the barrier. Not good if you have a tight connection.

 

[Buzby]

Catching a train into Glasgow Central can be really annoying if the ticket inspector stays in the back cab

Switch to Tap&Pay, saves all the hassles on arrival, and you get a QRcode to exit the barriers if there are any.