FGW HSTs vs Arriva XC Voyagers

[whole diary]

[dooby13]

I always do buy a ticket, more because I actually want a seat reservation on these busy trains than anything else, and it also irks me when hundreds of people don't bother to buy one.

I understand staffing issues, but I really think these conductors need a more set ticket checking routine.  People always moan about people travelling without tickets, rail companies not having enough money etc., but as long as they aren't checked, they will continue to do so.

I am not condoning fare dodging, and I don't do it myself - but I do often have to buy tickets on the train as St Ives ticket office is closed during winter, and St Erth does limited hours at weekends, so I therefore often get to Truro or Penzance for free when the conductor is nowhere to be seen.

Anyway, back to the original post, I choose Arriva X-Country Voyagers, as the ones I've been on are cleaner, warmer, have more adequate ticket checks, and you don't have to stick your hand out the window to get out of the train.

[Super Guard]

On HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train), I think revenue can be a problem due to the number of stations requiring SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) (selective door opening), and ensuring announcements are made and the Guard is in the right place to open the doors can make revenue look like it's being ignored.  Also on a 8 car HST, how do you know that no revenue is being carried out just because the TM^‡(resolve) doesn't get to your coach?  I understand the impression this can give to customers, but does not mean that a Guard does not care or is lazy - perhaps the question should be with potentially so much fare evasion going on, why are FGW^▸ (First Great Western) not hiring/diagramming more Revenue Protection Staff onto these trains?

For example, I can have the best intentions of checking a whole 2 car train between Exeter St Thomas & Starcross, but on some days i'll be asked more questions about connections etc, be asked for a strange rover type thing (Devon Metro  ), or people fiddle around with a look of shock that you actually want to take money off them or see a ticket and I may only make it half way through... Other days I can walk straight through, and do the whole train and still have time to make it back through again before we arrive.  For a passenger who has travelled from St. James Park - Starcross, am I being lazy one day and not the other if they happen to be in the front half and have their ticket checked only once?

(St. James Park is a small 'station' just on the run into Exeter Central where tickets are rarely/never done between St.James-Exeter Central-St Davids-St Thomas due to the few seconds between each stop.)

[Tim]

I understand that there are particular problems with checking tickets when stations are very close and use SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening).  Surely extra staff is the solution here.  You wouldn't need very many and they wouldn't need to be on the train for the whole jounrey but could just travel back and forth on a short stretch of problem line.

In fairness to Donkey Guard, my comments suggesting that some Guards are lazy isn't based on knowledge of devon and Cornwall but on the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) between Bath and London which are the ones I use regularly.

Many years ago when I started the commute, you could still buy full price tickets on the train.  I reckon that in the morning trip a single Guard managed to check all tickets between Bath and Reading every single day even though he had to sell 5 to 10 tickets per coach (and presumably earn a good bit of commission for this) .  The only way you could have avoided a ticket check would have been to hide in a large piece of luggage as the TM^‡(resolve) passed.  Nowadays the policy is Buy before you board so the TM's job ought to be easier, but my ticket only gets checked perhaps 30% of the time. 

I try not to be cynical, but I suspect that by installing gates you end up with most passengers having a ticket of some kind (at least on the early monring trains to town) so that an on-board check at that time of the morning doesn't result in a good commission being earnt but in a TM finding almost everyone has a valid ticket and having to argue the toss with a couple of idiots who are on the wrong train.   The incentives haved changed so so has the staff behaviour.

[Super Guard]

In fairness to Donkey Guard, my comments suggesting that some Guards are lazy isn't based on knowledge of devon and Cornwall but on the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) between Bath and London which are the ones I use regularly.

I try not to be cynical, but I suspect that by installing gates you end up with most passengers having a ticket of some kind (at least on the early monring trains to town) so that an on-board check at that time of the morning doesn't result in a good commission being earnt but in a TM^‡(resolve) finding almost everyone has a valid ticket and having to argue the toss with a couple of idiots who are on the wrong train.   The incentives haved changed so so has the staff behaviour.

I should have also clarified that I am not defending all Guards out there, as I have no doubt there are some lazy guards out there.

However, perhaps your reasoning as to the change in incentives also explains why FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are not hiring more Revenue Protection staff as 'Buy before you board' probably means that RP staff do not "pay for themselves" as much as they used to.  However, I agree those already employed could potentially be better diagrammed to cover problem areas.

[devon_metro]

If the ticket conductors can't be bothered to go down the train to collect tickets, what do they expect?  What exactly are the staff doing the whole way from Plymouth to Penzance if they aren't cleaning the place or collecting tickets?

How can you expect a guard to do tickets if the train is packed?

[dooby13]

If the ticket conductors can't be bothered to go down the train to collect tickets, what do they expect?  What exactly are the staff doing the whole way from Plymouth to Penzance if they aren't cleaning the place or collecting tickets?

How can you expect a guard to do tickets if the train is packed?

Surely is his / her job to at least try, between some stations anyway.  All packed Plymouth to PZ trains ease off by St Austell and Truro, so the guard still has at least half an hour to check the rest of them, but is nowhere to be seen.  Don't get me wrong, there are some excellent, vigilant, friendly and informative guards on FGW^▸ (First Great Western), but in my experience, on evening trains from Plymouth to Penzance, they are extremely few and far between.

[Not from Brighton]

It's much easier to use a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) than a Voyager when you have a push-chair and children. I assume this goes for disabled passengers too.

[dog box]

Most passengers and nearly all staff who work voyagers hate the things with a passion,... they are noisy, smelly, too small .uncomfortable in stnd class, have no sensible catering facilities have a joke of a bike rack and are begining to fall to bits,...they are basically a crap train foisted on us by old beardie.
And for your information dooby 13 ...FGW^▸ (First Great Western) HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) are litter picked at every terminal station and are throughly cleaned throught the night by the cleaners who work really hard to clean up the sometimes absolutely disgusting mess left by some moronic passengers who seem to delight in redecorating the toilets.

[dooby13]

All I ask is that someone goes down the train every so often with a bin bag to pick up some of the rubbish, it's a sad day when you have to clear the seats of junk before you can sit on them.  In addition, it would be helpful if they could replace the bin bags in the actual bins, as they are often overflowing.  They manage it on Vietnam Railways, but not Worst Late Western.

[Sprog]

All I ask is that someone goes down the train every so often with a bin bag to pick up some of the rubbish, it's a sad day when you have to clear the seats of junk before you can sit on them.  In addition, it would be helpful if they could replace the bin bags in the actual bins, as they are often overflowing.  They manage it on Vietnam Railways, but not Worst Late Western.

The rubbish is only there becuase your fellow 'customers' (morons) leave it there in the first place instead of using the Bins provided...........

In experiance, the bin bags are changed usually unless time is not availiable to do so.....

[JayMac]

All I ask is that someone goes down the train every so often with a bin bag to pick up some of the rubbish, it's a sad day when you have to clear the seats of junk before you can sit on them.  In addition, it would be helpful if they could replace the bin bags in the actual bins, as they are often overflowing.  They manage it on Vietnam Railways, but not Worst Late Western.

Worst Late Western? Here's me thinking we're approaching 2010, not back in 2006. If Vietnam Railways are so good at keeping their trains clean then good luck to them. Grossly overstaffed communist state run railways are not what we are about here in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom), despite Bob Crow's best efforts. You are hardly comparing like for like; even our 'worst' local trains have upholstered seats and our mainlines are all double track with superior rolling stock and speed.

[dooby13]

Good luck to FGW^▸ (First Great Western), I've seen some marked improvements in their timekeeping, but I don't think they'll ever shift that reputation or name.

I'll be on them this weekend and look forward to my upholstered seat, but not sticking my arm out the door in order to get out of the train. 2009 indeed 

[JayMac]

Good luck to FGW^▸ (First Great Western), I've seen some marked improvements in their timekeeping, but I don't think they'll ever shift that reputation or name.

I'll be on them this weekend and look forward to my upholstered seat, but not sticking my arm out the door in order to get out of the train. 2009 indeed 

If having to open the door for yourself is such a big deal then may I suggest you stand behind someone else and let them expend all the effort, it's such a taxing chore obviously.

[devon_metro]

Whats the obsession with making everything technological these days?

Cars with digital speedos are far more likely to malfunction, compared to you standard needle. Whilst providing no obvious benefits.

Same applies to doors, in my house the doors are hand operated. Perhaps I should install automatic with push operated buttons, perhaps I could install a Star Trek whoosh sound affect at the same time.

[Zoe]

I think the HSE^▸ (Health and Safety Executive) would have something to say if anyone suggested a new build of slam door stock even with CDL^▸ (Central Door Locking).