Cost of short trips...

[NoOnions]

A couple of days ago I took a train from Rainham to Rochester. As I'm a season ticket holder it was 'free' for me. I was unimpressed to find out the the single cost was £3.10. For such a short journey.

I was even more unhappy to listen to the teenage girls behind me. A table of four girls discussing how they had not bought tickets, that they never did and that the barriers were always open.

Yet, as a Gold Card holder, I got no discount when I took my daughter to work at Christmas (Rush hour)

Why are the barriers open off-peak? Where is the Guard? Why isn't he/she checking tickets?

Oh yes, we season ticket holders are simply easy cash cows...

NoOnions

[Duvel]

This is something that has bothered me for many years No Onions.

The section of the Chatham Main Line between Rochester and Faversham provides an excellent service for fare-dodgers with very little prospect of being caught, and I suspect an equally small prospect of anything worse than just being told to get off at the next station if found without a ticket.

The probability is that any on-train ticket check will be carried out between Bromley South and Rochester (though whether now having to stop at Meopham and Longfield #£%*#@#!!! changes this remains to be seen). Although a few Conductors manage to carry out some sort of check along this stretch I suspect it is difficult given the frequent station stops.

I don't believe that Conductors stand much of a chance in the battle against fraudulent travel, through no real fault of their own. Manned (and effective) barriers at all times are needed, with random sweeps by RPIs (Revenue Protection Inspectors).

Southeastern's view may be that the cost of effective revenue protection outweighs the revenue that would be recovered? Pity, as more staff presence would make for a travelling environment that feels safer too.

[Richard Trevithick]

The problem with ticketless travel across the network snowballed out of control several months ago when the contract with the company providing staff for the gatelines terminated. Rather than extend it or get another company in, Govvex just left the barriers at most stations open and unmanned most of the time, presumably as a cost cutting exercise. Only if they have surplus platform staff (a rarity in itself as most stations are apparently chronically undermanned) will these Govvex staff be released to man the barriers. Obviously, on paper at least, it's cheaper to have no staff and save on their salaries because it is impossible to prove the extent of revenue being lost as a paperwork excercise. Apparently, ticketless travel is a well known problem at all levels of management, but unfortunately is the easiest of all problems to brush under the carpet - no hard evidence means it's not really happening!

I believe this is just the thin end of a large wedge which shows what dire straits Govvex is currently in. Recent reports elude to the fact that several director level managers have jumped ship to other franchises, and a large number of other senior management positions have been disbanded and their workload rolled into new (fewer) positions. Whilst commendable that they're cutting out the dead wood to save a few shekels and to make it a more efficient beast, unfortunately the savings are going straight to the shareholders and not to reducing the cost of tickets.

According to some of those present at my New Year Staff seance who were around in the days of connex, exactly the same things were happening back then just before they lost the franchise. Perhaps we are just a few months away from a late Christmas gift from the DfT....... Happy days!

Happy New Year to everyone.

Kind regards,

RT

[Greenicing]

The ticket check in its current form is ridiculous. Some guards, presumably after their commission, only ask if people want to buy tickets. Others only check with the train 3/4 empty, and then only glance at tickets briefly. Anyone feigning sleep isn't disturbed. I don't blame the lonely guards for not confronting people, but it would be good if SET used surprise teams of say 4 'stand by your beds' types to come and inspect tickets stringently.

[Duvel]

Seems that more Revenue Protection Officers are to be recruited, based at least in 'London' and at Dartford, although how many isn't revealed.

Depends on how far they travel as to whether this will help deal with the 'free travel' situation between the Medway Towns and Faversham though.

If anyone fancies applying, the advert is at:
www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/app/webroot/files/cache/RPO%20Advert%20-%20Jan%202010.pdf

From the text of the advert it seems that Southeastern's recruitment folks haven't realised that they do now operate on the high-speed line in Kent :-)