London Midland Trains

[Kevin]

If I have to catch a train and the ticket facitilies are not open (and the ticket machine only accepts card, as is the case at Hamstead) then I make a point of going to the guard and buying one. The whole of the London Midland network is a penalty fare zone and as such if you have no ticket and have made no effort to do so then you are liable to a fine. Regardless whether or not the guard does his job properly or the trains are up to scratch or anyone is at barriers to check the tickets, if you travel on the train and make no effort to buy a ticket you are a thief. It's no different to catching a bus and walking straight past the driver without paying, nor is it different to walking out of Tescos with your weekly shopping because the tills are the other side of the shop

[Sh4318]

You are told, that if the ticket office is closed, to purchase your ticket from the conductor at your first opportunity. You wouldn't board a bus without paying, the train is no different. Most conductors are very lenient and allow you to pay for your ticket on board if you haven't already got one with you

[notepanel]

I don't use the train very often, but am honest enough to buy a ticket anyway where I can.

I did raise my concerns with London Midland via FixMyTransport back in December 2011, their response makes interesting reading:
http://www.fixmytransport.com/campaigns/at-least-employ-ticket-checkers-on-t

I do recall another occasion when I did buy a ticket, however as I saw a conductor passing through my carriage, I got my ticket out ready for inspection, and the guy just walked straight past! The train wasn't even busy, so I presumed he was just heading to the other end before starting back for his checks, but he never returned.

It makes me wonder what data London Midland use to analyse how many passengers use their services, when it is so seemingly easy to get on a train without paying.

I just know though, that the first time I try evading the fare, I'll get caught and slapped with a fine. So I'll always buy a ticket from the office at the station if its open, or put some money in the Permit To Travel machine.

Going slightly off topic here, but how stupid can some people be on that Fix my Transport site! Such as the bloke on about the 11 on the day of the fire in Harbourne. Any normal person would probably reply, "Oh I didn't realise about the fire on that particular day, but in general the route needs more control as it is frequently late on many other occasions" (or something like that!), instead he is moaning that National Express didn't have plans in place to deal with a building fire and consequent diversions.

Shame on National Express for not foreseeing a fire and attaching wings on to the buses so they could just fly over the congestion in Harbourne! 

[mikestone]

You are told, that if the ticket office is closed, to purchase your ticket from the conductor at your first opportunity. You wouldn't board a bus without paying, the train is no different. Most conductors are very lenient and allow you to pay for your ticket on board if you haven't already got one with you

.
But that is exactly how we have got to the state we are in - the rule when the "open station concept" was introduced was that you must buy a ticket when the booking office is open and only full fares will be sold on trains if you don't, but hardly anyone enforced it and pretty quickly people decided not to bother buying before boarding.

[Sh4318]

You are told, that if the ticket office is closed, to purchase your ticket from the conductor at your first opportunity. You wouldn't board a bus without paying, the train is no different. Most conductors are very lenient and allow you to pay for your ticket on board if you haven't already got one with you

.
But that is exactly how we have got to the state we are in - the rule when the "open station concept" was introduced was that you must buy a ticket when the booking office is open and only full fares will be sold on trains if you don't, but hardly anyone enforced it and pretty quickly people decided not to bother buying before boarding.

Times have changed. You always risk a fine if you board with out a ticket. It rarely gets forced today, most conductors let you pay on board

[Tony]

You are told, that if the ticket office is closed, to purchase your ticket from the conductor at your first opportunity. You wouldn't board a bus without paying, the train is no different. Most conductors are very lenient and allow you to pay for your ticket on board if you haven't already got one with you

.
But that is exactly how we have got to the state we are in - the rule when the "open station concept" was introduced was that you must buy a ticket when the booking office is open and only full fares will be sold on trains if you don't, but hardly anyone enforced it and pretty quickly people decided not to bother buying before boarding.

That is because conductors cannot issue penalty fares. The conductor on one of the evening Birmingham-Rugeley trains about 2 weeks ago was correctly only selling 'anytime tickets' not off-peak ones which people could have purchased at New Street which is a bit of a penalty.

Only Revenue Protection Inspectors can issue the £20 penalty fare

Times have changed. You always risk a fine if you board with out a ticket. It rarely gets forced today, most conductors let you pay on board

[windy miller]

Ok, There are NO booking offices at Water orton, (and NO permit to travel machine either) It has been suggested that a passenger without a ticket should buy one at their first opportunity eg when travelling to Nuneaton are passengers seriously expected to de-train at coleshill in order to buy a ticket, while the passenger is then obliged to wait half hour in the cold for the next available train? OR do they wait for the guard to vacate the comfort of his rear cab and sell me a ticket?.....If a fare remains uncollected before Nuneaton there are no ticket barriers on leaving the station...  The irony is that IF you make a return (single) journey the cost of the fare is virtually the same as a return ticket... >:(

[Tony]

Ok, There are NO booking offices at Water orton, (and NO permit to travel machine either) It has been suggested that a passenger without a ticket should buy one at their first opportunity eg when travelling to Nuneaton are passengers seriously expected to de-train at coleshill in order to buy a ticket, while the passenger is then obliged to wait half hour in the cold for the next available train? OR do they wait for the guard to vacate the comfort of his rear cab and sell me a ticket?.....If a fare remains uncollected before Nuneaton there are no ticket barriers on leaving the station...  The irony is that IF you make a return (single) journey the cost of the fare is virtually the same as a return ticket... >:(

Water Orton is not in a Penalty fare zone, so a conductor is obliges to sell you the cheapest ticket for your journey. (which is isn't in a PF zone, he is only required to sell full price anytime tickets). I have never travelled between New Street and Water Orton either way and not had my ticket checked, or be sold a ticket. The Cross Country conductors do seem good at revenue

[windy miller]

Ref the XC journey  Water Orton- New St...To be fair I have always been approached by an XC conductor (s) between WTO and New St, (in both directions) as you said  but not between WTO and Nuneaton. 

[Ash]

After the rain today the class 323's are wheel spinning like mad causing the train to shake like turbalance

[mikestone]

i thought I'd fallen into an alternate universe today - the barrier staff actually seemed to read  my ticket both coming off the station and going on.

[Kevin]

Ref the XC journey  Water Orton- New St...To be fair I have always been approached by an XC conductor (s) between WTO and New St, (in both directions) as you said  but not between WTO and Nuneaton.

So you go to the guard at the rear of the train and ask to buy a ticket.... no?

[andy]

Ref the XC journey  Water Orton- New St...To be fair I have always been approached by an XC conductor (s) between WTO and New St, (in both directions) as you said  but not between WTO and Nuneaton.

So you go to the guard at the rear of the train and ask to buy a ticket.... no?

Precisely. The conductor is not obliged to be in the train all the time, but is obliged to collect a ticket machine at the start of shift and be available to sell tickets if requested. On many trains it is completely impossible for the conductor to get through the train but they will still sell tickets if approached. It is in their interests to do so as they receive commission.

[Dylan4579]

How new is the cross city branding on the the class 350's

[Tony]

How new is the cross city branding on the the class 350's

350s don't work the Cross-City line, which ones have branding?