For my sins I have spent the last few days commuting to London from
Trowbridge, out via Bath and the "Bristolian" back on the 16:35
Adelante service via Westbury - and therein lies the question.

The 16:35 shows on the departure boards as first stop Theale, although
there are stops to "Pick Up" at Slough and Reading.  The gripper
normally manages to get through the train before Reading (it is only 5
coaches!) yet a number of people (who obviously know the routine) still
get off at Reading (not so much at Slough - but then who wants to get
off at Slough anyway!)

What can the gripper do (if anything) to discourage this?.  After all
the idea is to reduce the overcrowding normally caused by the Reading
crowd!  I would assume that if the train is first stop Theale and the
passenger has a Reading ticket, then that ticket is not valid on that
train and they should be charged an Open Single Padd - Reading?

Any views/thoughts/similar experiences?

Cheers

Peter

puffernutter wrote:


> If the train is first stop Theale and the passenger has a Reading
> ticket, then that ticket is not valid on that train and they should
> be charged an Open Single Padd - Reading


But, as you've just said, such a ticket would not be valid. 

Which tends to suggest that what you mean is a ticket to Theale. But the 
question then arises as to whether you would force them to stay on the 
train to Theale as well.

-- 
http://gallery120232.fotopic.net/p12598510.html
(An unidentified 33/0 at Hilsea, Aug 1987)

"puffernutter"  wrote in message 
news:1126781234.836611.251290@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...

> For my sins I have spent the last few days commuting to London from
> Trowbridge, out via Bath and the "Bristolian" back on the 16:35
> Adelante service via Westbury - and therein lies the question.
>
> The 16:35 shows on the departure boards as first stop Theale, although
> there are stops to "Pick Up" at Slough and Reading.  The gripper
> normally manages to get through the train before Reading (it is only 5
> coaches!) yet a number of people (who obviously know the routine) still
> get off at Reading (not so much at Slough - but then who wants to get
> off at Slough anyway!)
>
> What can the gripper do (if anything) to discourage this?.


If he got through the train quickly enough he would excess all their tickets 
to Theale?

As you imply there is little they can do short of non stopping the train 
through Reading a few times without announcements, but then those joining 
would need to be allowed for, which would need another train...  Where 
there's a will?

There will probably be replies to say that there shouldn't be any pick up 
only stops, but clearly it is a valid means of reducing overcrowding on long 
distance trains.  On SWT they seem to score an own goal by the on train 
displays and announcements informing passengers that the next stop is 
Clapham Junction even when it is PU only.

Paul

Chris Tolley wrote:

> puffernutter wrote:
>
> > If the train is first stop Theale and the passenger has a Reading
> > ticket, then that ticket is not valid on that train and they should
> > be charged an Open Single Padd - Reading
>
> But, as you've just said, such a ticket would not be valid.
>
> Which tends to suggest that what you mean is a ticket to Theale. But the
> question then arises as to whether you would force them to stay on the
> train to Theale as well.
>
> --
> http://gallery120232.fotopic.net/p12598510.html
> (An unidentified 33/0 at Hilsea, Aug 1987)



In a similar situation, what would happen if i travelled on a Virgin
Trains service from Watford to Euston? I see people doing it all the
time and the staff even telling them to board sometimes! Would i be
charged the full open single from the trains previous stop, which in
some instances is Stoke on trent?