Train station overcrowding

Arg

timbo58 wrote: »

I think the belief that gatelines are a sign that TOCs are greedy (although they certainly are IMHO!) is laughable: there would be no reason for gatelines or ticket checking if every passenger bought a valid ticket, the mere fact that anywhere between 2 and 5%+ of passengers travelling overall is stealing their service is the reason all of this inconvenience is levelled at the remaining 95-98%.

Great so lets annoy and endanger the vast majority of customers so the railway companies can get tiny bit more cash.:T

newfoundglory

Stigy wrote: »

Clutching at straws or what?

It's defined enough so that even imbeciles can understand what the 'correct manner' is. Clue's in the term "ticket" barriers.

Correct manner HAS to be clearly and properly articulated. Its been left undefined for a good reason - for the benefit of the operator, but equally the protection of the passenger.

Of course, if an operator believes they can squeeze a bit more profit out of the passenger - i'm sure they'll try anything.

The network is, after all, a national embarrassment which will hopefully be further exposed during the Olympics; with overseas visitors who have far less patience than us Brits with a "bad attitude".

I frequently wander around the rail network thinking to myself WHERE THE HECK HAS ALL THE MONEY GONE?

Humphrey10

newfoundglory wrote: »

I frequently wander around the rail network thinking to myself WHERE THE HECK HAS ALL THE MONEY GONE?

There has been, and continues to be, a lot of money spent on infrastructure improvements. Lots of them you won't see, don't forget the railway isn't just for passengers, and many you wouldn't recognise if you did.
Just maintaining what is there already is also expensive.

timbo58

Humphrey10 wrote: »

You don't have to work for a TOC to work in the rail industry, I'd be glad for crumbs, more than we get. 75% off a season ticket which is very useful if you travel by train to work, less useful if you only use trains for leisure travel.

ah well there 'the rub' when I was actually able to commute to work (being traincrew for most of my career I usually either started too early to get trains or finished too late) you weren't entitled to use the priv facilities for season tickets anyway.

I generalised using the Term 'TOC' you are correct that most companies working in rail provision give some sort of travel benefit.

I had a Euro/Worldwide ticket for 1/4 fare provision also but never used it unfortunately.

timbo58

Arg wrote: »

Great so lets annoy and endanger the vast majority of customers so the railway companies can get tiny bit more cash.:T

Well it's a lot more than a tiny bit and to be fair it's the same as any other retail company: if you think Tescos et al add a few percent to products to pay for the items shoplifted also.
If the TOCs made no effort to ensure payment then they'd be attacked for that too.
Frankly BR should not have cut all the ticket checking at stations in the 80's.

I think endanger is an emotive word, there seems to be an accusation of endangerment but no actual proof.

I'd like to see if any TOC has ever been forced to remove ticket gatelines due to the HSE finding them dangerous?

pinkteapot

OP - if you cost the TOC money, all that will happen is that the cost will be passed on to passengers in the next round of ticket price hikes. Not very MSE at all.

I commute with a different TOC so I feel your pain. I went down from full-time to three days a week last year, partly due to the train service going to the dogs (longer journey times even before the usual delays) and my day becoming too long to put up with it five days a week.

wealdroam

Arg wrote: »

Great so lets annoy and endanger the vast majority of customers so the railway companies can get tiny bit more cash.:T

What are you on about?

"endangering the vast majority"... the OP has mentioned just one station where he has from time to time experienced overcrowding.
Hardly the vast majority, is it?

Supermarkets have barriers which no doubt inconvenience the vast majority of people who want to nip out without paying.

slyracoon

Which station is it?

newfoundglory

pinkteapot wrote: »

OP - if you cost the TOC money, all that will happen is that the cost will be passed on to passengers in the next round of ticket price hikes. Not very MSE at all.

Under normal circumstances i'd agree with you!!

But this isnt a normal industry, and i'm not quite sure thats how things work - I believe the train operators actually pay network rail. Obviously, the operators have responsibility for their own stations - but fare increases in london are regulated and capped.

The unregulated fares are so out of control they arent even worth worrying about and as already pointed out in this thread - the operators are greedy (they have shareholders to pay) - not much is going to change that unfortunately.

Jeff_Bridges_hair

newfoundglory wrote: »

Under normal circumstances i'd agree with you!!

But this isnt a normal industry, and i'm not quite sure thats how things work - I believe the train operators actually pay network rail. Obviously, the operators have responsibility for their own stations - but fare increases in london are regulated and capped.

The unregulated fares are so out of control they arent even worth worrying out and as already pointed out in this thread - the operators are greedy (they have shareholders to pay) - not much is going to change that unfortunately.

That seems to be the problem. You're not quite sure how things work in the rail insutry but you're ready to jump to your own conclusions as to how you think they work and then you are using your interpretation as fact.

maybe find out some facts first before you start ranting and raving yeh?