Penalty fares go live in April 2010

[whole diary]

[SDS]

RPIs^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context)) are paid closer to 30k. No commission apparently.

All revenue from a PF^▸ (Penalty Fare) stays with the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) that issues it regardless of what TOC they travelled on.
E.g. Southern do a block at Gatwick. They (southern) PF a person travelling by FCC^▸ (First Capital Connect), Southern keep all the revenue and FCC sees none of it.

[Super Guard]

I see thanks for clarifying that 

[vacman]

RPI^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context))'s dont get commission, and PF^▸ (Penalty Fare)'s are actually a small part of the RPI's duties, the main part being that of prosecutions, a successful prosecution can be worth a bit to the company in cost's gained.......
And from what I can gather FGW^▸ (First Great Western) RPI's are paid quite a bit more than ^20k!

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Guardian:

Southern's RPOs earn commission from penalty fares (up to 5% of revenue gained), while London Midland revenue protection employees do not receive commission. Similarly, Southern's RPOs are not vetted through the criminal-record checking system, while London Midland's are.

 

[thetrout]

That's interesting CfN... Southern, Southeastern and London Midland are all run under the same parent company, Govia

[JayMac]

....but as is the case across the entire rail network, employment terms and contracts are often signed with previous TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) owners and in some cases go back as far as BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) days!

[readytostart]

From the Guardian:

Southern's RPOs earn commission from penalty fares (up to 5% of revenue gained), while London Midland revenue protection employees do not receive commission. Similarly, Southern's RPOs are not vetted through the criminal-record checking system, while London Midland's are.

 Is this a case that RPOs are not the same as RPIs^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context))? Back in my ScotRail days we had Ticket Examiners (equivalent to RPOs) who assisted in general revenue duties on guarded routes and carried out revenue duties on DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) routes, as well as manning barriers on non gated platforms. We also had Fraud and Security Officers (equivalent to RPIs) who as well as a random covering of most of the network on an occasional basis carried out intelligence led checks, supported at larger events and worked with the BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) on full blocks at unmanned stations and their local major stations (similar to having a full block at RDW and then questioning anyone rolling up to the excess window at RDG^‡(resolve) and asking for a ticket from RDW).

_{Edited to sort out quote i_b}

[inspector_blakey]

My understanding is that if they can issue penalty fares then they are either revenue protection officers or inspectors, depending on the company. I stand to be corrected, but as far as I'm aware there is no difference between an RPO and an RPI^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context)), just I think that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) chooses to call them RPOs. FGW also employs ticket examiners to work trains in driver only territory (e.g. Thames Valley, usually seen on Bicester Town sevices etc) and in the Bristol suburban area to assist with revenue buties on busy trains. These staff are definitely distinct from FGW's RPOs, as they do not have the authority to issue a penalty fare but can only require payment of the full fare due for the journey like a guard.

As a footnote, when BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) first introduced penalty fares their RPIs were working on commission - I have a ticket examiner's handbook from the early 1990s kicking around somewhere at home which gives RPIs instructions for paying in their penalty fare notices to claim their commission. So it's entirely possible that companies that inherited penalty fares from BR have protected the Ts and Cs of thsoe staff, whereas more recent penalty fares schemes like FGW's don't. Just an educated guess though.

[paul7575]

The DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)'s penalty fare rules have a specific section about PF^▸ (Penalty Fare) collector's commission, and there is an upper limit of 5%. 

I believe that 'normal' on train ticket selling by guards etc can earn higher commission on some TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company).

Paul

[railwayfan]

ATE's can issue tickets and complete ticket irregularity reports.

RPO's can additionally issue Penalty Fare Notices

RPI^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context))'s can additionally caution under PACE^» (Police & Criminal Evidence Act - about) (Police & Criminal Evidence Act) and report offences or suspected offences for the consideration of whether to proscecute.

[SDS]

The only difference between an RPI^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context)) and a RPO/RCO is that one can caution and is PACE^» (Police & Criminal Evidence Act - about) trained, the other is not.

RPO/RCOs (and what other name they are called next week) can issue TIRs^▸ (Travel Irregularity Report)/MG11s^▸ (Form to take a statement for use in court)/PFs^▸ (Penalty Fare) just like RPIs. They also get summonsed to court.

But then it also depends on the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) as well.

Oh and the differences in salary are pretty wide ranging. Heres a random sample.

FGW^▸ (First Great Western)
RPI Team Leader (ex FGW Link)   
^33018.00 pa
Senior RPI (ex FGW Link)   
^30953.00 pa
Revenue Inspectors (ex FGW Link)   
^28022.00 pa
Revenue Protection Officer (ex FGW Link)   
^25325.00 pa
Ticket Examiners (ex FGW Link)   
^19636.00 pa

NXEA^▸ (National Express East Anglia)
Team Leader   
^26517.00 pa
RPO L1   
^24605.00 pa
RPO L2   
^23525.00 pa

SWT^▸ (South West Trains)
Senior RPI   
^32305.00 pa
RPI (ex Supervisor B)   
^29239.00 pa
RPI (ex Supervisor A)   
^29239.00 pa
RPI (ex Ticket Examiner)   
^29239.00 pa
RPA   
^22060.00 pa

[vacman]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western)
RPI^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context)) Team Leader (ex FGW Link)   
^33018.00 pa
Senior RPI (ex FGW Link)   
^30953.00 pa
Revenue Inspectors (ex FGW Link)   
^28022.00 pa
Revenue Protection Officer (ex FGW Link)   
^25325.00 pa
Ticket Examiners (ex FGW Link)   
^19636.00 pa

As far as i'm aware there are no longer any senior RPI's or Team leaders as these were replaced by Revenue Standards Managers in 2006, the RSM's were then all displaced last year.

FGW have RPI's who issue PF^▸ (Penalty Fare)'s, do MG11^▸ (Form to take a statement for use in court)'s issue tickets etc, RPO's who do PF's, ATE's (2 grades, the ex wessex who are on less than the ex Thames but both I think get commission), There are also a couple of RCI's in the West whos duties appear to be the same as the RPI's but are a management grade, not sure what their sallary is but I think it is actually LESS than bothe RPI's and RPO's!

Gateline staff are now PF trained aswell, well at least some are, I saw a member of staff at Bath wearing an authorised collectors badge the other day.