Ticket checks this evening!

[whole diary]

[chineseJohn]

On the 17:11 to Newbury this evening - ticket seller checking tickets this evening backed up by a G4S guys. Good to see this.

[BerkshireBugsy]

Gets my vote ! Now how about ticket checks on the early morning services ?!

[chineseJohn]

Same again happened this evening 17:11, this time 2 G4S guards + FGW^▸ (First Great Western) ticket checker.

They started checking as soon as wel left Reading West but only checked for tickets for people who got on at Reading West.

The first two they checked did not have tickets but the guy just sold them the ticket they required.

On a separate note, spoke to a fellow passenger about ticket dodging. he said that he witnessed a passenger who got on at Theale in the morning,ticket checked bought a ticket to Reading but stayed onto London.

[Electric train]

It is not on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) lately who have stepped up on board ticket checks it is across the network.  I could be cynical and suggest it is the end of the financial year and the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) are needing revenue figures to justify the subsidy

[paul7575]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) were required to beef up revenue protection by recruiting additional revenue staff, as part of the deal with DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) for the additional rolling stock.  I'm sure this was announced a while back...

Paul

[inspector_blakey]

It is not on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) lately who have stepped up on board ticket checks it is across the network.  I could be cynical and suggest it is the end of the financial year and the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) are needing revenue figures to justify the subsidy

Can't find the posts now, but I certainly remember other cynical posters in previous years suggesting the exact opposite, i.e. that FGW were deliberately letting revenue control slip towards the end of the financial year to "justify" the subsidy by making sure they didn't collect too much in fares...

Not sure I really see either argument myself: the subsidy is set as part of the franchise agreement and I really wouldn't have thought that any difference revenue protection (or lack thereof) over a few weeks would make a significant difference

[chineseJohn]

This morning - Theale station - about 6 Revenue protection guys.

[SapperPsmith]

It is not on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) lately who have stepped up on board ticket checks it is across the network.  I could be cynical and suggest it is the end of the financial year and the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) are needing revenue figures to justify the subsidy

Can't find the posts now, but I certainly remember other cynical posters in previous years suggesting the exact opposite, i.e. that FGW were deliberately letting revenue control slip towards the end of the financial year to "justify" the subsidy by making sure they didn't collect too much in fares...

Not sure I really see either argument myself: the subsidy is set as part of the franchise agreement and I really wouldn't have thought that any difference revenue protection (or lack thereof) over a few weeks would make a significant difference

FGW are in Revenue Support so they have been minimising their costs (eg Revenue Protection staff).  I suspect DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) realised this and made them put back some resources as part of the HLOS^▸ (High Level Output Specification) deal. 

[chineseJohn]

I think you're right - ticket checks in the last 2 months have been very common, where as the previous 10 months - nothing/rare - to the point my monthly season ticket was in pristine condition due to the lack of usage at barriers or showing anyone.