Great Western Coffee Shop

Apparently FGW have just employed a load of Revenue protection inspectors for Devon and Cornwall to finally implement penalty fares! There's even some going to be based at Penzance! About time, they must loose a fortune in uncollected fares.

I don't see how First can implement penalty fares when their ticket machines stop functioning whenever it rains!

The guards tend to be more than reasonable with the ticket machines, as they do all still carry the onboard ones iirc.

I've had several occasions were theres been a que at C+D (and not enough time to buy a ticket) and the guard has been quite happy to let you buy a ticket onboard.

There are already two Revenue Protectors who work from Penzance.

I think you'll find they are ATEs, not RPIs.

Two newly appointed RPI's, possibily not trained up yet but also ATE's already based at Penzance.

And certainally 1 of the ATE's is a very friendly chap, always enjoy seeing him when I do!

Think Iknow the bloke your on about.

Know him well. Always freindly when i'm travelling, and his badge says Revnue Inspector and they do take Penalty Fare.

Don't think ATE's do Penalty fares (yet) but all conductors/TM's/ATE's are supposed to warn anybody that they sell a ticket to about Penalty fares.

Too many job titles here.  What do the acronyms stand for (I know TM, what is an ATE - something ticket Examiner?) What is the difference between them all?  Does it need to be this complicated?  To a non-expert it seems a bit stupid to (rightly or wrongly) impose penalty fares but then only have some staff who can impose them.  Doesn't that undermine their purpose and give the impression that there is a difference betwen what the rules say and what you can get away with in practice?

About time...

Sometimes I don't see why I bother buying a ticket when on a high speed service! I never fail to get checked on local though.

If you hover your mouse over the bits of my earlier post with dotted underlining...

Assistant Ticket Examiner - ATE.

The ATE's also now work HST's in Cornwall, think it's to do with the introduction of SDO as TM's have been told that they don't have to do tickets whilst they get used to the new system!

Did they ever do tickets?

I always thought that there were a few staff on HSTs, exluding the buffet.

no they havent.

The ATE's in Cornwall work a mixture of stuff. Usually they only work HST's if they've been on a branchline. I have sen them on HST's though.

All the TM's seem to think so!

well i am telling you for a fact they havent "been told that they dont have to do tickets whilst they get used to the new system" as you put in your previous post. Common sense would dictate that as the main role of the TM is one of safety that they will prioritise the operation of SDO before collection of Revenue - but that isnt an instruction that has been issued by FGW management.

Certain Traincrew managers have said it whether its official or unofficial.