Chaos tonight - why cant the TM do the ticket part of their job....

[whole diary]

[Mookiemoo]

I can see what Mookimoo is getting at Doesn't like standard class tickets holders sitting in First Class seats without paying the premium too right Is a little like a Standard Class punter watching the hoodies from Slough etc boarding train without tickets ( and no intention of buying them) at all!

By the way a Standard class passenger shouldn't even be STANDING in First Class (including the vestibules) unless they are willing to upgrade their ticket!

The Train Manager should do as I did when I was a clippie turf em out and whip back that Evening Standard when he does so too, because the paper is a perk for the premium paying passenger not all and sundry!!;D

Its not even that harsh even.

In times of disruption where there are trains cancelled etc, then I have no problem with them using FC^‡(resolve) if SC is a sardine can.

Where the problem came in was after Reding there were spaces in SC - plenty of them, but still SC were sitting and standing in FC when there were SEATS in SC and the TM^‡(resolve) was more concerned as we pulled out of Reading with announcing all the short platforms up the cotswolds line (before we had even go to Oxford!)

He had no intention of doing anything until I got him to make the tannoy announcement - which cleared them out and we got a trolley service by Charlbury!

[vacman]

I have to say I agree with Mookiemoo on this one, one thing that annoys me lately is people going to Lostwithiel, because of the SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) they have to leave the train through coaches G and H, but most people think they can sit there from Penzance! NO! all that means is that they can walk through First class when they get there. A ticket is simply a contract of travel and does not guarentee you a seat, in fact, it does not guarentee to get you to a certain place by a certain time, nor does it guarentee you travel on a train, it simply guarentees you that the "company" will transport you from A to B, people who pay big money for first class have every right to exclusive use of the first class carriages, thats what they're paying for!

[smokey]

I'm with Mookiemoo and Vacman on this, When the Train service has died, on it's back with all wheels in the air, IF a service is crowded then if the TM^‡(resolve) puts SC in FC^‡(resolve) so be it, but as soon as SC thins out then the SC in FC get sent back to SC.

The miss use of FC by SC ticket holders or worse SCUM fare dodgers is far to common.

Two suggestions I would like to see FGW^▸ (First Great Western) do are:

1 When services leave stations First Class Carriages should be ticket checked First and not last which is far more common as the TM's office is as far from FC as it can be.
OK this isn't possible when stops are frequent every 1/2 hour or less.

2 When a FC trolley is provided then the Trolley staff should check that the passengers in FC have FC tickets, even trolley dollies can read 1st or standard on a ticket.

[Mookiemoo]

I'm with Mookiemoo and Vacman on this, When the Train service has died, on it's back with all wheels in the air, IF a service is crowded then if the TM^‡(resolve) puts SC in FC^‡(resolve) so be it, but as soon as SC thins out then the SC in FC get sent back to SC.

The miss use of FC by SC ticket holders or worse SCUM fare dodgers is far to common.

Two suggestions I would like to see FGW^▸ (First Great Western) do are:

1 When services leave stations First Class Carriages should be ticket checked First and not last which is far more common as the TM's office is as far from FC as it can be.
OK this isn't possible when stops are frequent every 1/2 hour or less.

Its a nightmare on the cotswolds - if the ticket check isnt done by REading, rest assured it wont be as the stops are every 7 or so minutes

2 When a FC trolley is provided then the Trolley staff should check that the passengers in FC have FC tickets, even trolley dollies can read 1st or standard on a ticket.

That is certain what cross country do - I went cross country bristol to birmingham and before the host in FC would serve me anything, I had to show my ticket

[tramway]

This is spooky, are FGW^▸ (First Great Western) watching the forum too closely, from todays service changes, I may be wrong but I don't think I've seen trolley announcements before.

14:22 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 17:45
This train has been revised.

Regret catering only available from Portsmouth to Salisbury.

15:22 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 18:43
This train has been revised.

Regret catering only available from Salisbury to Newport.

16:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour due 19:52
This train has been revised.

Regret catering only available from Newport to Salisbury.

17:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour due 20:57
This train has been revised.

Regret catering only available from Salisbury to Portsmouth.

[Ollie]

They have done catering announcements before, although I've only ever seen them do it on the past for HSS^▸ (High Speed Services).

[Jim]

They have done catering announcements before, although I've only ever seen them do it on the past for HSS^▸ (High Speed Services).

With the reliabaility of the Local PMH-CDF^» (Cardiff - next trains) trolley crew, there will be hundreds of network updates now!

[zebedee]

I have to say I agree with Mookiemoo on this one, one thing that annoys me lately is people going to Lostwithiel, because of the SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) they have to leave the train through coaches G and H, but most people think they can sit there from Penzance! NO! all that means is that they can walk through First class when they get there. A ticket is simply a contract of travel and does not guarentee you a seat, in fact, it does not guarentee to get you to a certain place by a certain time, nor does it guarentee you travel on a train, it simply guarentees you that the "company" will transport you from A to B, people who pay big money for first class have every right to exclusive use of the first class carriages, thats what they're paying for!

Maybe this is part of the problem with rail in Britain, as you say, its just a contract of travel.  Not being funny, but if I buy a rail ticket and want to get somewhere by a certain time, I expect to ride on a train (ideally a nice big blue one!) and get there around the time I would hope for.  I understand that there are a huge amount of circumstances that might prevent this (through no fault of anyone) but rail is not a "cheap" alternative and should be generally meetings one's expectations, be they a FC^‡(resolve) or a SC customer.

[vacman]

I have to say I agree with Mookiemoo on this one, one thing that annoys me lately is people going to Lostwithiel, because of the SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) they have to leave the train through coaches G and H, but most people think they can sit there from Penzance! NO! all that means is that they can walk through First class when they get there. A ticket is simply a contract of travel and does not guarentee you a seat, in fact, it does not guarentee to get you to a certain place by a certain time, nor does it guarentee you travel on a train, it simply guarentees you that the "company" will transport you from A to B, people who pay big money for first class have every right to exclusive use of the first class carriages, thats what they're paying for!

Maybe this is part of the problem with rail in Britain, as you say, its just a contract of travel.  Not being funny, but if I buy a rail ticket and want to get somewhere by a certain time, I expect to ride on a train (ideally a nice big blue one!) and get there around the time I would hope for.  I understand that there are a huge amount of circumstances that might prevent this (through no fault of anyone) but rail is not a "cheap" alternative and should be generally meetings one's expectations, be they a FC^‡(resolve) or a SC customer.

You say rail isn't a cheap option? do some comparisons on local journeys, weekly season PNZ-TRU is about ^25, so ^5 per day if doing 5 days, 26 miles by rail, about 40 mins,
same journey by car, anything up to an hour in the peak, about ^14 in fuel, about ^6 to park for the day, wear and tear on your car, road tax is ^? per year, insurance if worked out on a daily basis etc.....you may be paying about ^25 per day! It's different all over the country but the southwest is far cheaper than driving.

[tramway]

Totally agree, haven't owned a car for 3 years.

[devonian]

That's why I get the train - far cheaper than driving. Drive to work = ^12 in petrol alone. Train and lift = ^6.50 - even less if I go somewhere on my season ticket at the weekend and factor that in!

Full price Newton Abbot to Ashford Int. is about ^77 - with YP Railcard, it is ^50ish. It costs me about ^60 in petrol alone - and the A303/M3/M25/M26 are a nightmare in summer.

That said, there are some seriously pricey routes but like Vacman says, the Southwest is very cheap for train travel - local media prejudice and FGW^▸ (First Great Western) bashing puts people off though. Read a report in the Herald the other day with some high-almighty guy slating FGW quoting a lady who vowed never to use FGW again because she had to take the tube from Paddington to Charing Cross instead of being able to walk over the bridge from Waterloo to Waterloo East - idiot - the guy should never be allowed to write again! 

[John R]

I have to say I agree with Mookiemoo on this one, one thing that annoys me lately is people going to Lostwithiel, because of the SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) they have to leave the train through coaches G and H, but most people think they can sit there from Penzance! NO! all that means is that they can walk through First class when they get there. A ticket is simply a contract of travel and does not guarentee you a seat, in fact, it does not guarentee to get you to a certain place by a certain time, nor does it guarentee you travel on a train, it simply guarentees you that the "company" will transport you from A to B, people who pay big money for first class have every right to exclusive use of the first class carriages, thats what they're paying for!

Maybe this is part of the problem with rail in Britain, as you say, its just a contract of travel.  Not being funny, but if I buy a rail ticket and want to get somewhere by a certain time, I expect to ride on a train (ideally a nice big blue one!) and get there around the time I would hope for.  I understand that there are a huge amount of circumstances that might prevent this (through no fault of anyone) but rail is not a "cheap" alternative and should be generally meetings one's expectations, be they a FC^‡(resolve) or a SC customer.

You say rail isn't a cheap option? do some comparisons on local journeys, weekly season PNZ-TRU is about ^25, so ^5 per day if doing 5 days, 26 miles by rail, about 40 mins,
same journey by car, anything up to an hour in the peak, about ^14 in fuel, about ^6 to park for the day, wear and tear on your car, road tax is ^? per year, insurance if worked out on a daily basis etc.....you may be paying about ^25 per day! It's different all over the country but the southwest is far cheaper than driving.

It certainly is different elsewhere. The equivalent cost from a point between Highbridge and Weston into Bristol (ie which equates to the same mileage as Truro to Penzance) is about ^44, instead of ^25. When you're paying nearly twice as much then you might take a different view.     

[Mookiemoo]

I have to say I agree with Mookiemoo on this one, one thing that annoys me lately is people going to Lostwithiel, because of the SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) they have to leave the train through coaches G and H, but most people think they can sit there from Penzance! NO! all that means is that they can walk through First class when they get there. A ticket is simply a contract of travel and does not guarentee you a seat, in fact, it does not guarentee to get you to a certain place by a certain time, nor does it guarentee you travel on a train, it simply guarentees you that the "company" will transport you from A to B, people who pay big money for first class have every right to exclusive use of the first class carriages, thats what they're paying for!

Maybe this is part of the problem with rail in Britain, as you say, its just a contract of travel.  Not being funny, but if I buy a rail ticket and want to get somewhere by a certain time, I expect to ride on a train (ideally a nice big blue one!) and get there around the time I would hope for.  I understand that there are a huge amount of circumstances that might prevent this (through no fault of anyone) but rail is not a "cheap" alternative and should be generally meetings one's expectations, be they a FC^‡(resolve) or a SC customer.

You say rail isn't a cheap option? do some comparisons on local journeys, weekly season PNZ-TRU is about ^25, so ^5 per day if doing 5 days, 26 miles by rail, about 40 mins,
same journey by car, anything up to an hour in the peak, about ^14 in fuel, about ^6 to park for the day, wear and tear on your car, road tax is ^? per year, insurance if worked out on a daily basis etc.....you may be paying about ^25 per day! It's different all over the country but the southwest is far cheaper than driving.

It certainly is different elsewhere. The equivalent cost from a point between Highbridge and Weston into Bristol (ie which equates to the same mileage as Truro to Penzance) is about ^44, instead of ^25. When you're paying nearly twice as much then you might take a different view.     

And then you get the cotswolds line - cheap compared to say, bristol/cardiff to pad but still expensive - especially in peak hour - and there are no advance purchase options!

There is a guy working for me who does reading/southampton daily for ^10 per day SC  - if he books in advance - fine by me so long as if XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) cock up he makes it up the following week.

There are no such options on cotswolds - and to be honest, the morning trains are not that bad and the evening trains are normal beyond reading and dead beyond oxford

[gaf71]

I have to say I agree with Mookiemoo on this one, one thing that annoys me lately is people going to Lostwithiel, because of the SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) they have to leave the train through coaches G and H, but most people think they can sit there from Penzance! NO! all that means is that they can walk through First class when they get there. A ticket is simply a contract of travel and does not guarentee you a seat, in fact, it does not guarentee to get you to a certain place by a certain time, nor does it guarentee you travel on a train, it simply guarentees you that the "company" will transport you from A to B, people who pay big money for first class have every right to exclusive use of the first class carriages, thats what they're paying for!

Maybe this is part of the problem with rail in Britain, as you say, its just a contract of travel.  Not being funny, but if I buy a rail ticket and want to get somewhere by a certain time, I expect to ride on a train (ideally a nice big blue one!) and get there around the time I would hope for.  I understand that there are a huge amount of circumstances that might prevent this (through no fault of anyone) but rail is not a "cheap" alternative and should be generally meetings one's expectations, be they a FC^‡(resolve) or a SC customer.

You say rail isn't a cheap option? do some comparisons on local journeys, weekly season PNZ-TRU is about ^25, so ^5 per day if doing 5 days, 26 miles by rail, about 40 mins,
same journey by car, anything up to an hour in the peak, about ^14 in fuel, about ^6 to park for the day, wear and tear on your car, road tax is ^? per year, insurance if worked out on a daily basis etc.....you may be paying about ^25 per day! It's different all over the country but the southwest is far cheaper than driving.

It certainly is different elsewhere. The equivalent cost from a point between Highbridge and Weston into Bristol (ie which equates to the same mileage as Truro to Penzance) is about ^44, instead of ^25. When you're paying nearly twice as much then you might take a different view.     

That said, I bet thats still cheaper than driving into Bristol and paying for parking 5 days a week. And a lot less hassle.(most of the time!)

[John R]

I agree with you there GAF71.