virgin ticket checks

[deltic]

I travel regularly between London and Birmingham and it is unusual for a ticket check to take place on the train on the return journey (perhaps 1 in 3) and apart from when leaving London in first class at all. However last few times I have travelled ticket checks seem to have been significantly increased.

This week travelling 1st class in the morning to Birmingham tickets where checked for those joining at both Coventry and Birmingham International and there were Virgin ticket checks on the stairs down to platform 1 on return neither of which I have seen in over 3 years travelling on this route and on another trip back to London this week tickets were diligently checked.

This is a general tightening up by Virgin or just a set of coincidences.

 

[dk1]

Not sure but it's terrific to hear. Frustrates me sometimes with long distance operators especially how they ignore local traffic flows.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Was on the 0550 New St to London the other day and the guard checked First after departure from both New St and International. Caught a couple of people out too: one woman showed a Standard ticket, and the guard said as he'd witnesses her board etc he would charge her the upgrade. Cue much explanation of how she didn't know / have money for the upgrade and eventually she left for Standard. Brilliant to see, fair play to the guard.

 

[Sheepy1209]

Don't know if there's any connection but they've been doing far more ticket checks at Preston station recently too - not just the regular mob on the Platform 1 footbridge, but also Virgin-uniformed staff at the subway exit onto platforms 3/4, first time I've ever seen that.Good stuff.

 

[a_c_skinner]

Yes, they checked me there the other day, all I wanted was the loo changing from Northern to TP.

Andrew

 

[CC 72100]

Virgin seemed to have upped the ante considerably over the last 6 months or so - they seem to be going after revenue, which is perhaps not a coincidence given the well-publicised revenue concerns on the East Coast.

 

[Elecman]

The Preston checks only seem to happen in the morning to catch out the 'starting short mob' who have the cheaper Lancaster to London tickets but who join at Preston to save a considerable amount of money.

 

[Philip]

The Preston checks only seem to happen in the morning to catch out the 'starting short mob' who have the cheaper Lancaster to London tickets but who join at Preston to save a considerable amount of money.

How/why does Lancaster-London have cheaper tickets than Preston-London?

I take it that boarding mid-way through the ticket journey on an advance ticket would normally be ok (other than these circumstances)?

 

[Starmill]

It's because Off-Peak tickets from Lancaster to London permit earlier arrival at London Euston than Off-Peak tickets from Preston. The restriction code does not permit break of journey. Advance tickets also don't permit break of journey. This probably has nothing to do with why VT are checking tickets, but you would not expect to be let through with an Advance ticket on which you intend to start short.

 

[yorkie]

How/why does Lancaster-London have cheaper tickets than Preston-London?

Because Virgin Trains want to charge less money to passengers travelling from Lancaster to London, than those who travel from Preston to London, as they believe the latter market is prepared to bear higher costs.

The restriction code of Off Peak Returns (SVRs) from Lancaster to London is much more generous than SVRs from Preston to London, and they also have a condition that bars break of journey. The rail industry does not allow starting short if break of journey is barred.

Therefore, people who present Lancaster to London tickets that have not been used between Lancaster and Preston, on entry at Preston, can be asked to pay the difference or take a later train.

If the market will bear high costs, and fares regulation allows those high costs, then they will charge them!

 

[randyrippley]

but how do they know you've not come from Lancaster on a TPE or Northern service? Its rare to get a ticket marked on their services between Lancaster and Preston especially in the morning. A change of train isn't a break of journey