Travelling from unmanned station

munchings-n-crunchings

For the last 5 years, my daughter has been travelling on the same route using the East Midlands Train service from an unmanned train station. The is a ticket collector on the train, and she has paid the daily return fare.
For the last couple of months, the ticket collectors have become more unhelpful in the way they conduct themselves, such as when paying with a note, suggesting she should go to a local supermarket and change it to the correct money. Her disabled persons railcard should give them an inkling that this may not be possible.

The other day, she was given a penalty fare warning card, not a penalty fare it's self, but warning not to board the train without a valid ticket.

Am I wrong? I thought the rules for unmanned stations were different?. There is a vending machine, on the opposite platform, but it's not a particularly easy route for a disabled person.
I know if I organised myself more, I could buy her a weeks worth of tickets, but it's just having that money in advance

Regards
Munchie

dandelionclock30

You could either write to the company explaining the problem and asking if your daughter can buy a ticket on the train in light of the fact she is disabled, or get her the tickets from the other platform yourself.
If you explain to the company they will most likley be very accomodating.
Also what about getting her a monthly/weekly pass if shes travelling everyday then this will completly avoid all these problems.

munchings-n-crunchings

Travelling using a disabled persons railcard, means you are unable to buy season tickets. It's something I don't agree with, as long as the card is valid for the duration of the ticket, but rules are rules.
Money being tight at the moment, I'm just using the daily fare option.

HappyMJ

munchings-n-crunchings wrote: »

Travelling using a disabled persons railcard, means you are unable to buy season tickets. It's something I don't agree with, as long as the card is valid for the duration of the ticket, but rules are rules.
Money being tight at the moment, I'm just using the daily fare option.

You can travel without a ticket from many unstaffed stations. To make life easier she could purchase multiple day tickets on one day instead...maybe online and getting them all delivered the week before on the day she is paid. Yes money is tight but surely all her benefits/wages or salary is all paid on at most only once per week. Soon all benefits will be paid once per month.

liz545

East Midlands Trains say in their policy for passengers with disabilities that they're committed to making their services more accessible. I'd get in touch with them and ask if there's anything your daughter can do to make it easier so she doesn't have to buy tickets on board the train - if there's any option to buy a week's worth of tickets or if they still offer Carnet fares. Failing that, it may be necessary for them to talk to ticket collection staff, as they may not realise that your daughter has a disability - she has a railcard, but they might not have joined the dots, especially if her disability is not an obvious one. They should be able to help you, so give them a try and let us know how you get on!

barbarawright

Could you actually buy a week's worth of tickets in advance? Wouldn't they be dated? Have you checked that a season ticket is more expensive than a railcard?

daveyjp

Why should there be a need to buy tickets in advance? The OP states this may not be possible.

Companies have to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate disabled passengers. If there's a guard on board they should do the job they are paid to do and collect fares.

A letter to East Midland Trains to remind them of their obligations to disabled passengers may get some action.

thelawnet

I would be tempted to write a strongly worded letter to EMT reminding them of their legal duties under the Disability Discrimination Act.

luckwudaveit

Agree that the TOC should assist. But to show goodwill on your part, could the change received on previous days be used on subsequent days to assist the ticket examiner / guard?

Failing that, go to the bank and request the equivalent fare in loose change.:D

yangptangkipperbang

The rules are here - in reasonably plain English.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/system/galleries/download/misc/NRCOC.pdf

If your daughter is complying with these and she feels the rail company isn't - she should write and complain (recorded delivery).
Is there a working ticket machine on the station ?

It is quite common for rail company staff to claim that a service/station is covered by a penalty fares scheme when it isn't.
The rules are quite complex - which is why even the rail companies don't understand them !

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1994/576/contents/made

paddedjohn

munchings-n-crunchings wrote: »

For the last 5 years, my daughter has been travelling on the same route using the East Midlands Train service from an unmanned train station. The is a ticket collector on the train, and she has paid the daily return fare.
For the last couple of months, the ticket collectors have become more unhelpful in the way they conduct themselves, such as when paying with a note, suggesting she should go to a local supermarket and change it to the correct money. Her disabled persons railcard should give them an inkling that this may not be possible.

The other day, she was given a penalty fare warning card, not a penalty fare it's self, but warning not to board the train without a valid ticket.

Am I wrong? I thought the rules for unmanned stations were different?. There is a vending machine, on the opposite platform, but it's not a particularly easy route for a disabled person.
I know if I organised myself more, I could buy her a weeks worth of tickets, but it's just having that money in advance

Regards
Munchie

Why does her disability stop her having the correct change? What would she do if the ticket collector had no change? would she get off the train or would she forgoe the extra cash/