Ticket Checks

[JJUK]

I'm from Wolverhampton and have to go to Stourbridge Town everyday for work. Before you rarely saw anyone check your ticket apart from the shuttle service (Between Stourbridge Junction and Stourbridge Town)

But lately you have seen quite a lot of inspectors / guards checking your tickets on the London Midland trains. Is there any reason why all of a sudden there are more checks?

I have been working at this place since october 2009 and caught the train all the time. If I don't catch the London Midland to Smethwick Galton Bridge, Then I would catch the Arriva Trains Wales service and since October I have had my tickect checked twice on Arriva.

 

[Mojo]

I noticed this today, before a few weeks ago ticket checks by guards on LM trains were about as rare as rocking horse muck but had quite a few inspections today, even on the Cross-city.

 

[Old Timer]

In my day Centro was very opposed to any form of ticket checking or revenue protection. We achieved revenue protection despite, rather than because of, Centro.

I presume it is still the same because the WM network has effectively become the largest free railway in the UK.

 

[yorkie]

LM management do read this site. The matter was raised previously, so maybe they took note? Other issues raised here have also been resolved. Most commendable.

 

[janb]

I think all TOCs are waking up to lost revenue. Definitely noticed more chance of a ticket check on TPE past couple of months, and noticeably all the guards are actually marking tickets now to stop people reusing them.

 

[mumrar]

I think it may partly be related to LM wanting to put their RPIs on New St barrier. The RPIs aren't keen on it, and are probably making themselves appear VERY valuable, to seem indispensible to the onboard revenue protection cause. Just a thought.

 

[Mojo]

I think it may partly be related to LM wanting to put their RPIs on New St barrier. The RPIs aren't keen on it, and are probably making themselves appear VERY valuable, to seem indispensible to the onboard revenue protection cause. Just a thought.

It's their Senior Conductors I've seen more often rather than their RPIs. Did see an RPI yesterday patrolling by himself as well, which I've never seen before.

 

[mickey]

Definitely noticed more chance of a ticket check on TPE past couple of months, and noticeably all the guards are actually marking tickets now to stop people reusing them.

...but more and more often it's just a scribble with a tatty biro. What was wrong with the stamps they used to use?

 

[yorkie]

...but more and more often it's just a scribble with a tatty biro. What was wrong with the stamps they used to use?

I think that may be because they're very expensive. Whereas a Biro pen costs next to nothing.

 

[Old Timer]

Ticket nips did the job pefrectly well for a 100 years

 

[Mojo]

I know of one person who has bought a single-hole punch from a stationary shop for less than £2, and the same person also uses a christmas tree shaped hole punch in December for a bit of festive cheer

I think in many cases there is an issue of whether to bother marking tickets at all. I regularly used to travel on the Severn Beach Line and only once was my ticket marked; presumably the guards consider it more worthwhile to get through the train and sell tickets to everyone rather than messing around stamping tickets (stations are closely spaced and unstaffed). On short distances like that with lots of stations I can't imagine it would put anyone off anyway because break of journey is permitted.

 

[deltic]

It is notable at New Street - LM at the Victoria Square entrance take ticket checking fairly seriously - on the main barriers as long as you wave something that vaguely looks like a ticket no-one takes any notice

 

[Mojo]

Interesting, given the same people staff both entrances. If you go via the lifts it's rare to have a check at all!

 

[Broken Viking]

When it comes to revenue protection and stopping lost revenue, I think SWT's clear-cut Buy Before ye Board campaign worked quite well for a lot of people, alongside the increase of Penalty Fares to £20 at roughly the same time.

In my earlier years, I'd always planned to buy my ticket on board the train (FNB's booking office closes about 19:00, and I've never liked QFMs) and sometimes ran into friction with Guards over whether my intentions and plans were honourable, or whether I should be issued a PF. The SWT BByB campaign finally cleared up what I used to see as a very grey area, and clarified exactly what I could do to be valid whilst still avoiding QFMs. 8)
(Before anyone asks: This was long before I'd even heard about the NRCoC...Let alone read it! hock: )

 

[Old Timer]

That of course being the route used by evaders anyway. :roll: :roll: :roll:

 

[transportphoto]

In reply to the stamps on LM.

I saw that a Gaurd on the Snow Hill lines yesterday had a Red stamp and was marking tickets with it. I didn't get myn stamped as I was travelling on a Network Rover (on the NWM Challenge.).

 

[Solent&Wessex]

I use an old BR (I beleive Western Region) Number 5 Stamper which is my own. The company provides nothing except a permanent pen. Apparently stampers are too expensive, and they don't like hole punches anymore due to barriers etc. I always love to see the commuters faces when I punch a whopping great hole in the return portion of their open dated return. They always show it in a wallet then have this look of "how dare you, I was going to use that for another 3 weeks" when I demand to stamp it!
X

 

[Broken Viking]

Apparently stampers are too expensive, and they don't like hole punches anymore due to barriers etc.

Every time I've had my tickets clipped, the Guard has usually clipped from the top or bottom as opposed to the side - Presumably to make sure that the magnetic strip isn't damaged by clipping.
To my knowlege though, the data written to the strip almost always occurs at least 20mm from the edge, so a hole in the strip won't necessarily break it.

 

[CarterUSM]

Out of interest, what is the meaning of the numbers on the clippers? I have a few pairs of 'sixes' or 6's. Are they region specific?

 

[Broken Viking]

If you're talking about a printing clipper (One that stamps a code on the ticket insted of punching holes in it) then the numbers normally refer to the date, and/or the headcode of the service the Guard/RPI was working on.
Also, I believe that printing clips identify the Guard themselves (One of the two "side" codes is a Guard ID number IIUC) as well, and also include a date reference in normal or encoded form

 

[mickey]

I think they stopped punching holes in tickets when they realised they were having to pay for the mess to be cleaned from the floor. When they did it at our local stations years back the whole place was a right mess! I agree that's good but I still think the stamps are nice, especially the long ones with a proper coding system - it adds a really nice touch of professionalism to the operators and guards who use them.

 

[dk1]

Was very suprised to get my ticket checked Friday afternoon between Finsbury Park & Old Street!

 

[CarterUSM]

Mine just punched a 6 through the ticket, hence the 'sixes'. I though the 5 may have also done this. We do not use them anymore, mainly due to mess as mentioned.

 

[Broken Viking]

Ahh...I see what ye mean now! I've had a few "sixes" and a number of "fives" (The latter all on Chiltern services) in my time. Best one so far was the SWT Guard using an Xmas tree shaped clip last Yule!

 

[142094]

Sure I have some tickets with a hole shaped like a bear and another like a bone.

 

[JJUK]

Sorry for the late reply, been busy at work.

London Midland asked each person who got on the train, to do a survey (about 3 months ago?)

The frequent ticket checks started two days before the surveys and have carried on ever since. Some of the questions were about tickets.

What type of ticket have you purchased?
Has your ticket been checked on this journey etc?

I have also seen a lot of inspectors on the trains catching kids etc with no tickets or cash and handing out fines.

Which is nice to see that they are actually doing their job.