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Reply 100
Liquidus Zeromus
:facepalm2: He paid to travel further, it doesn't make sense that he gets fined for getting off earlier. If they are charging higher prices to travel a shorter distance ON THE SAME TRAIN, then that does not make sense at all, and they are the ones who should be fined for unfair trading practices.

Jeez, I study Economics too but his subject of expertise is completely besides the point.

Actually, one of the train journeys I make occasionally requires me to take two trains - one to the city nearest to me and then another train from there. That ticket is actually cheaper than getting a ticket to take only the first train to the city. So A to B is actually more expensive than A to B to C. I think it's ridiculous - B to C is actually a longer journey than A to B so you're paying around 75% of the price for a journey that's more than twice as long, presumably because B is a much more popular destination than C. If you think about it, it's not really about the length of the journey - as well as A to B to C, national rail also suggests A to B to D to E to C - five train journeys for the same price (incidentally always via B). And sometimes if you split your journey up by buying separate tickets and perhaps taking a longer route, it can work out cheaper overall.

That said, B has electronic barriers and they still let you through both ways with an A to C ticket. At least, they used to. I haven't got an A to C ticket for ages, but I used to stop off at B sometimes on the way there/back without any problems. I don't think he should have been fined, especially as in this case, I would have thought Durham would be the more expensive destination anyway. (I just checked and it is - £11.50 more than Darlington for later on today.) He also had 3 single tickets, so he was obviously intending to get off there (as opposed to buying a return ticket despite intending to get off at a different stop). Presumably the official solution if circumstances change and you decide to get off early is to continue to the next stop and then get another ticket back to the stop you were just at? Or discard your original ticket and buy a new one on the train to cover the entire journey? Either way, it makes no practical sense. Who would actually do that? The ticket to Durham would have been more expensive anyway so he lost out by not buying a ticket to Darlington even without the fine. Still, if they were going to fine him anything, the price of a Durham to Darlington ticket would have been much more reasonable.
(edited 13 years ago)
Funny how we can't fine the train company when they fail to fulfil their part of the contract. a few years back I was living in Bristol and was returning from Scotland by train. One of my trains was delayed by a flood, and so by the time I got to Newport the last train to Bristol that day had left. Fortunately my dad was able to come and get me, but it was about an hour and a half each way, plus bridge tolls to cross the Severn. My dad got to the station slightly before I did, and when he asked customer services what they would have done if he hadn't been able to collect me he was told they would give me a form for compensation and nothing else. When I sent off the compensation form I received £4 of travel vouchers - slightly less than the bridge tolls, let alone the cost of fuel and my dad's time. It was an £80 ticket as well, so it's not as though the compensation was even significant relative to the fare. It's hardly surprising that people rely on cars!
Also it's a bit of a shame they've waived the fine and not taken him to court - I'm sure that by forcing him to sign an 'invoice' before allowing him to leave the station they render it invalid anyway.
Reply 102
SO stupid.
Reply 103
CurlyBen
Also it's a bit of a shame they've waived the fine and not taken him to court - I'm sure that by forcing him to sign an 'invoice' before allowing him to leave the station they render it invalid anyway.


They would never take it to court, they're not idiots. They rely on the kind of ignorance and stupidity shown in this thread to rake it in on penalty fares.
Reply 104
First, I personally think it's a shocking system, I realise you're paying to get off at a particular stop, but with that stop already going through that station there is nothing Morally wrong with it.
If the Rail Companies have a problem with it because of longer journeys costing less, then they should change their pricing system, not just fine stupid amounts.

Second, I ******* HATE THESE NEW BARRIERS, now they've put them in at Newcastle you can't go wave your family/friends off from the platform, or wait for them to return to help them with their bags... It makes me ******* SICK!!

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Reply 105
SergioMZ
Which station was it? Afaik, tickets in Rodalies go for Zones, not stations (whenever I go or get back from the airport I use my T-10, doing a connection in Barcelona to my town, last time on Sunday, and it worked).


I'm pretty sure it was Barcelona Sants. We were staying in the city itself and as far as I remember we got the metro to the station in Placa de Catalunya and then we got a train to Barcelona Sants. We only knew the platform coming from the airport, so we got a bit lost and went out the barrier and out of the station itself. When we went back in after figuring out it was the right station, the barrier wouldn't let us in! I had no idea what Zone I was in, so for a minute I thought we passed through into a different one and our tickets were no good, but the guard said we were ok and let us in ha ha.
yoyo462001
He is wrong. The train ticket is not determined by length of travel but by the station. Don't see it as getting off early or 'not using the full product', instead he got off at the stop he he didn't pay for. He in no way paid for a 'product' allowing him to get of at Darlington. A economics professor wouldn't be spouting that kind of non sense, no wonder he does philosophy.


This. shame he does philosophy:facepalm2:, if he did economics and maths...:sig
(edited 13 years ago)
Kev.
First, I personally think it's a shocking system, I realise you're paying to get off at a particular stop, but with that stop already going through that station there is nothing Morally wrong with it.
If the Rail Companies have a problem with it because of longer journeys costing less, then they should change their pricing system, not just fine stupid amounts.

Second, I ******* HATE THESE NEW BARRIERS, now they've put them in at Newcastle you can't go wave your family/friends off from the platform, or wait for them to return to help them with their bags... It makes me ******* SICK!!

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what's wrong with the barriers? it's clearly there to prevent those with invalid ticket entering the train...
Ridiculous. If he had got a ticket for one stop shorter it would be the same price or cheaper, so why charge for getting off early? Local transport plans are always going to be flexible, being so rigid isn't practical. You can get off trams or buses early no problem, why should trains be any different?

I've gotten off early on plenty of occasions and the staff have never bothered me once about it, even if it means I had to flag someone down to let me through the turnstiles. I'm quite shocked there are rules against it tbh.
(edited 13 years ago)
Reply 109
The rail companies disgust me, total jobsworths and pricks.
Was in Maccy Ds once and had only finished half my burger and was gonna chuck the rest away, only for an employee to come over and ram it down my throat. wtf man, i said.
Kev.
First, I personally think it's a shocking system, I realise you're paying to get off at a particular stop, but with that stop already going through that station there is nothing Morally wrong with it.
If the Rail Companies have a problem with it because of longer journeys costing less, then they should change their pricing system, not just fine stupid amounts.

Second, I ******* HATE THESE NEW BARRIERS, now they've put them in at Newcastle you can't go wave your family/friends off from the platform, or wait for them to return to help them with their bags... It makes me ******* SICK!!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


You can get a platform ticket for a nominal fee (pence) at any station on the rail network, and if they refuse you are well within your rights to complain to the franchise operator.

The barriers are fine really, but we've had them in Ashford almost since they were first rolled out outside of London, so I'm used to them by now.
(edited 13 years ago)
LawBore
Do you honestly think this is a reasonable thing to do to someone? It's just capricious 'rules is rules' twattery. He hasn't cost the train company any more, probably very very slightly less, so I just can't see the problem.


If it was honest twattery then fair enough but you never hear the full story in these kind of things. For all we know this professor guy was a total jerk to the gateline staff.


You know when we sit and watch episodes of Luton Airport and are all like "woah that passenger is a see you next Tuesday". Maybe he was one of those guys.
theciz
I'm pretty sure it was Barcelona Sants. We were staying in the city itself and as far as I remember we got the metro to the station in Placa de Catalunya and then we got a train to Barcelona Sants. We only knew the platform coming from the airport, so we got a bit lost and went out the barrier and out of the station itself. When we went back in after figuring out it was the right station, the barrier wouldn't let us in! I had no idea what Zone I was in, so for a minute I thought we passed through into a different one and our tickets were no good, but the guard said we were ok and let us in ha ha.

Uh-huh.
I never use the metro to go from Plaça de Catalunya to Sants, the Rodalies trains are much faster and more frequent. All of Barcelona and as far as the airport is one zone, so no worries about it. It probs was a single ticket and didn't let you back because it's single entry (though you still have 1.15h to change trains), so the machine wouldn't let you but the guard did (as you were paying for what you were using).
Being honest, I found the UK better to Spain in many ways, but trains-wise, Spain is much, much better, I believe.
Reply 114
Dnator
If you use trains at all you know most stations have ticket barriers.


I live in the area and these barriers only came on in the last few weeks and are still part time. I caught them on at one time and my friend had got on at a station without a ticket machine and the guard didn't come, so I handed her the out portion of the ticket and it worked fine. It's not fair to have ticket barriers when the ticket officer on the branch line from that station doesn't come down the train half the time, no station has a ticket machine until you get to Darlington, and the machine is beyond the ticket barrier. I wouldn't be surprised if on exit the staff tried to charge me a penalty fare of 3-4x the cost if the conductor didn't come down the train when I was alone one time.
(edited 13 years ago)
Retards and their rules n prices...
Reply 116
SergioMZ
Uh-huh.
I never use the metro to go from Plaça de Catalunya to Sants, the Rodalies trains are much faster and more frequent. All of Barcelona and as far as the airport is one zone, so no worries about it. It probs was a single ticket and didn't let you back because it's single entry (though you still have 1.15h to change trains), so the machine wouldn't let you but the guard did (as you were paying for what you were using).
Being honest, I found the UK better to Spain in many ways, but trains-wise, Spain is much, much better, I believe.


Yeah I thought the train/metro system in Spain was really cool, but then again I've never been on English trains. Northern Irish are kinda... low-tech lol. No barriers, no fancy tickets, much less frequent, even in the capital. Good old Translink. :rolleyes:
Reply 117
Remarqable M
what's wrong with the barriers? it's clearly there to prevent those with invalid ticket entering the train...


Whilst they do serve a purpose I can't help lamenting the loss of what, although is still one of your greatest Victorian railway stations (Newcastle central), is no longer as open and attractive as it once was. I think this is what the member also meant. It was a wonderful station where friends and family were able to walk onto any of the (14?) platforms and even the train itself to see you off.

It's just lost a certain something now there are these modern barriers installed.

As far as I was aware you were still able to quite legally board a train without first obtaining a ticket until recently. You just weren't allowed to use railcard discounts when buying on the train (although exceptions were often made to those with disabled persons railcards).
River85
X

I am kind of surprised you haven't picked up the obvious hypocrisy of this man moaning about this. Durham students paid for his train ticket and the University Senate write catalogues of small print that us students are made to put up with. Worse still, he probably wrote some of it, being on the Senate and that...
he abused the terms and conditions of an advanced ticket, therefore it was not valid

he was then required to purchase an 'anytime' ticket of the appropriate class from his station of origin to the place he left the train.

advance tickets do not allow breaks of journey or stopping short / starting beyond

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