Queues for tickets inside Oxford Rd

[Merseysider]

Just got off at Manc Oxford Road and there's a queue of at least 50 people for the excess fares window. Possibly more, as a trainload of people arrives every few minutes.

No assistant ticket sellers either, as far as I could tell. Didn't get a photo but if anyone else is passing through you'll see straight away.

Any particular reason for this?

 

[the sniper]

People renewing annual season tickets?

 

[Merseysider]

People renewing annual season tickets?

If so, there should be more than one person selling tickets

 

[Chrisyd]

Exactly the same situation at Salford Central, queue went past Platform 2 ramp. Usual guy selling and the usual two gents checking tickets.

 

[Merseysider]

Surely Northern would be better off having all ticket office staff handling arriving pax and their renewals, and have the STM lot sell anything else?

The queue was along half the length of Platform 4 when I disembarked which can't be great for safety, or for those wanting to get on/off a train

 

[northwichcat]

People renewing annual season tickets?

While it's the first working day of the month for most people will a lot of people be renewing annual season tickets today? Surely the date an annual season ticket gets renewed depends on what date you got a permanent job offer opposed to what the first working day of the year is.

 

[Greenback]

While it's the first working day of the month for most people will a lot of people be renewing annual season tickets today? Surely the date an annual season ticket gets renewed depends on what date you got a permanent job offer opposed to what the first working day of the year is.

You would think so, but my experience in the ticket office was that the first working day of January was exceptionally busy, and the first week was much busier than usual as well.

I can't really explain this. It would at least make some sense if it was just before a fares increase, but not a day or so after one.

 

[Merseysider]

I'm not clued up on the details, but I heard there was an ATW strike. Could that in any way have an effect?

 

[Starmill]

I don't understand why you'd renew an Anuual Season today rather than on the 1st? It must be one of the most well-publicised ways to 'save money'.

 

[Camden]

I'm not clued up on the details, but I heard there was an ATW strike. Could that in any way have an effect?

I would expect that to provide relief rather than pressure, since ordinarily there is a queue snake of people from the Wales' service queuing for tickets.

 

[northwichcat]

I'm not clued up on the details, but I heard there was an ATW strike. Could that in any way have an effect?

I'm not sure why that would have an effect at Oxford Rd given the alternatives for Chester-Manchester passengers would be the Northern service or going via Crewe and Newton-le-Willows and Earlestown are staffed, while the only alternative way of getting from the unstaffed stations of Helsby and Frodsham to Manchester involves getting a bus to a staffed station.

The strike looks to be having a big effect on punctuality of Northern services and possibly the higher loadings are meaning more people are arriving at Piccadilly/Stockport/Chester without the opportunity to buy tickets if the conductor can't get through.

 

[cuccir]

I don't understand why you'd renew an Anuual Season today rather than on the 1st? It must be one of the most well-publicised ways to 'save money'.

In the short term perhaps but as your scare quotes note, it only off-sets the price increase down the line rather than saving it overall.

A lot of people will not buy annual tickets, but will use fixed-date tickets around holidays or other times working away from the office, to avoid paying for travel during periods when the ticket is not used. The rush today in particular will come from the fact that Christmas/New Year is probably the most common long period off work for people to take.

 

[rdwarr]

I do that. My current ticket is valid today (4th Jam) until 19th Feb. I went down to the station yesterday to avoid the queues this morning.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I doubt it was people renewing Annuals, given that you can't do an Annual on a hand-held ticket machine.

Most people outside the Gold Card area won't bother with annuals anyway, and buying a monthly two days before you need it will be much more expensive than just paying the extra 1-2%.

 

[Greenback]

I used to find that we sold far more annuals around the time of the first working day of the year than at any other time. What caused the massive queues was probably a combination of those plus the passengers who were buying other forms of season ticket following an extended break from work.

This year is probably particularly busy because the first working day of 2016 is also a Monday, which is when most weeklies are sold in a normal week!

 

[northwichcat]

I wonder if it's down to more people than usual buying weekly tickets? It's unusual for the working first day after a Bank Holiday to be a Monday. Having most Bank Holidays on Monday means some people normally finish up with weekly season tickets from Tuesday to Monday.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Theres only one ticket window on the barriered side of Occy Road. On the road side there are 3 windows and a bank of ticket machines. Clearly the queue was people who didn't/couldn't buy before boarding/couldnt buy on board/hoped to chance barriers were open for a free ride and had to go through a manned and operational ticket gate without having acquired a ticket for whatever reason beforehand....

 

[Merseysider]

Theres only one ticket window on the barriered side of Occy Road. On the road side there are 3 windows and a bank of ticket machines. Clearly the queue was people who didn't/couldn't buy before boarding/couldnt buy on board/hoped to chance barriers were open for a free ride and had to go through a manned and operational ticket gate without having acquired a ticket for whatever reason beforehand....

Yes, of course. But it wouldn't be difficult to use one of these to direct ticketless passengers to the open roadside windows, for which there were no queues.

My point is that for whatever reason, the situation is a lot of people queuing, some for at least 20 minutes I'd imagine, and it's been poorly handled.

 

[RAPC]

There were 5 staff at Oxford Road selling tickets (4 x Northern and 1 x FTPE) plus the ticket window when I passed through at 9:15.

I had to buy a ticket as my local station was busy and I didn't get much further than halfway to the front in 20 minutes. Nobody selling tickets on the train either (which was unusual), so it was Oxford Road for me and sorted straight away.

Clearly it had cleared up a lot in the 40 minutes since the OP's arrival.

 

[Starmill]

I doubt it was people renewing Annuals, given that you can't do an Annual on a hand-held ticket machine.

Most people outside the Gold Card area won't bother with annuals anyway, and buying a monthly two days before you need it will be much more expensive than just paying the extra 1-2%.

I think this is what it's about. Unless I'm going to start commuting to Stafford (no thanks!) I wouldn't get an Annual either. I wonder also if it takes a little longer to issue some of these season products e.g. Countycard

 

[Bletchleyite]

Surely Northern would be better off having all ticket office staff handling arriving pax and their renewals, and have the STM lot sell anything else?

Northern would be better off introducing a system of TVMs and Penalty Fares. What other urban system in Europe works like a 1950s tram service in 2015?

 

[TUC]

You would think so, but my experience in the ticket office was that the first working day of January was exceptionally busy, and the first week was much busier than usual as well.

I can't really explain this. It would at least make some sense if it was just before a fares increase, but not a day or so after one.

Whatever the reason, if it's a known phenomenon, surely you would expect TOCs to plan their staffing accordingly.

 

[rebmcr]

What other urban system in Europe works like a 1950s tram service in 2015?

The Prague metro+trams spring to mind!

 

[Bletchleyite]

The Prague metro+trams spring to mind!

I used the Prague metro once years ago, and I paid at a TVM.

 

[Greenback]

Whatever the reason, if it's a known phenomenon, surely you would expect TOCs to plan their staffing accordingly.

As far as is possible, yes!

I suspect that it's down to money, as usual. If money was no object, and staff were happy to work, I expect they could flood the station with staff on overtime and RDW.

 

[sheff1]

What other urban system in Europe works like a 1950s tram service in 2015?

Sheffield Supertram. Tickets sold by conductors who are onboard every tram. No ticket machines at any stop.

You can, though, buy certain season tickets online

 

[TUC]

As far as is possible, yes!

I suspect that it's down to money, as usual. If money was no object, and staff were happy to work, I expect they could flood the station with staff on overtime and RDW.

Well if it gets revenue in, presumably it would be worth getting extra staff in a for a couple of hours.

 

[Greenback]

The bean counters may disagree, especially if they feel that extra staff won't increase the overall revenue take by that much.

After all, making someone wait for 10 minutes instead of 20 doesn't mean they cough up more cash! How I love being cynical

 

[island]

Yes, of course. But it wouldn't be difficult to use one of these to direct ticketless passengers to the open roadside windows, for which there were no queues.

Many of the passengers in question would have simply ducked under the barriers and walked off without paying.

Many of the passengers should have bought their tickets before travel.

 

[Merseysider]

Many of the passengers in question would have simply ducked under the barriers and walked off without paying.

And quite understandably too, if they've got jobs to get to and have already waited an excessive amount of time for their first opportunity to pay.

Many of the passengers should have bought their tickets before travel.

Agreed.

LM has a similar set up to Northern; I wonder if New Street had a problem like this yesterday.