Rules or common sense

[SirAlf]

I posted a query a couple of days ago about a journey from Chesterfield to Stockport. My journey was:

Chesterfield to Sheffield Dep 1248 Arr 1300 EMR
Sheffield to Stockport Dep 1311 Arr 1353 TPE
The ticket was marked “Advance Single” & Route “Ap EMR & Connect”. Seat reservations shown for both trains

But the 1248 at Chesterfield was late and I would have missed the TPE train at Sheffield. There was an earlier train at 1236 which was on time. So I asked politely at the station whether I could get on the 1236 which was on time and run by the same company (EMR).

I know an Advance ties me to a booked train but if EMR had allowed me on a train 12 minutes earlier, run by the same company, then I would have made my connection. But no, the station staff refused, lectured me about Advance tickets, told me that I would have to take my booked train and arrive an hour late. Thereby committing EMR to delay repay, something they didn’t seem to care about.

Both the 1236 and 1248 were from St Pancras to Sheffield and are pretty much empty after Chesterfield and the journey is just over 10 minutes. I know there are rules but I also know railway staff have authority to override rules to assist customers. Sadly Chesterfield platform staff didn’t see it that way.

Thankfully the train manager on the 1236 just told me to get on board. Strict rules from one railway employee and simple common sense from another.

 

[Rover]

The attitude you experienced from the staff at Chesterfield does not surprise me.

 

[JonathanH]

Both the 1236 and 1248 were from St Pancras to Sheffield and are pretty much empty after Chesterfield and the journey is just over 10 minutes. I know there are rules but I also know railway staff have authority to override rules to assist customers. Sadly Chesterfield platform staff didn’t see it that way.

Thankfully the train manager on the 1236 just told me to get on board. Strict rules from one railway employee and simple common sense from another.

It isn't really the role of platform staff to give authorisation to catch a different train although they could have been more helpful to suggest you speak to the train manager. As you note, the train manger allowed you to travel.

There is an obvious problem if platform staff give verbal advice to board a different train, but you have no evidence of that advice to show someone actually involved in revenue protection on board the train. 'Oh, the person on the platform said it was fine' may not work in all cases.

 

[fandroid]

It isn't really the role of platform staff to give authorisation to catch a different train although they could have been more helpful to suggest you speak to the train manager. As you note, the train manger allowed you to travel.

There is an obvious problem if platform staff give verbal advice to board a different train, but you have no evidence of that advice to show someone actually involved in revenue protection on board the train. 'Oh, the person on the platform said it was fine' may not work in all cases.

I think this entirely sums up the advice concerning using a different train to one your Advance ticket is valid for. Always ask the TM/guard of the train you now want to travel on.

"The bloke at station X said it would be OK" is one of the many usual stories ticket checkers have heard from people who are actually just trying it on.

 

[Rover]

Absolutely, the advice should have been "have a word with the guard".

 

[Llandudno]

The best way and has always worked for me at various stations in the north of England and Wales is to approach the train manager/guard with a smile and ask extremely politely if you can board his train owing to disruption.

Never been refused yet….!

Virtually all on train staff are great, station staff generally less so!

 

[Watershed]

It isn't really the role of platform staff to give authorisation to catch a different train although they could have been more helpful to suggest you speak to the train manager. As you note, the train manger allowed you to travel.

There is an obvious problem if platform staff give verbal advice to board a different train, but you have no evidence of that advice to show someone actually involved in revenue protection on board the train. 'Oh, the person on the platform said it was fine' may not work in all cases.

At many stations, platform staff will be multi-skilled, also undertaking gateline or ticket office duties. Therefore, there is absolutely no reason they couldn't be giving authorisation. You're correct that they shouldn't just be doing so verbally, so any reasonably competent TOC would be giving platform staff the requisite tools to record such authorisation more formally - e.g. a form they can fill out, a stamp, or ticket scanning equipment that allows them to endorse e-tickets.

It's an indictment of the rail industry's attitude to customer service that this should be considered difficult to do, or somehow exceptional.

 

[fandroid]

At many stations, platform staff will be multi-skilled, also undertaking gateline or ticket office duties. Therefore, there is absolutely no reason they couldn't be giving authorisation. You're correct that they shouldn't just be doing so verbally, so any reasonably competent TOC would be giving platform staff the requisite tools to record such authorisation more formally - e.g. a form they can fill out, a stamp, or ticket scanning equipment that allows them to endorse e-tickets.

It's an indictment of the rail industry's attitude to customer service that this should be considered difficult to do, or somehow exceptional.

To be fair to gateline staff at St Pancras, East Midland platforms, they did exactly that for me once by endorsing my ticket and having a rubber stamp handy to give it that "official" look.

 

[BenS123]

At many stations, platform staff will be multi-skilled, also undertaking gateline or ticket office duties. Therefore, there is absolutely no reason they couldn't be giving authorisation. You're correct that they shouldn't just be doing so verbally, so any reasonably competent TOC would be giving platform staff the requisite tools to record such authorisation more formally - e.g. a form they can fill out, a stamp, or ticket scanning equipment that allows them to endorse e-tickets.

It's an indictment of the rail industry's attitude to customer service that this should be considered difficult to do, or somehow exceptional.

SWR has "back on track vouchers", I believe all staffed SWR stations have a few pads of them, they're filled out with the passenger's name and journey details and signed by a staff member who ticks a box saying 'Authorisation to travel on other service' or something like that.