Said TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) appreciates the kind words!

No, their only role is revenue protection. Any on train management is the responsibility of the train manager or conductor who might ask the revenue staff to help in certain circumstances. As far as altering the air conditioning goes it a case of 'on' or 'off' I'm afraid, and it's supposed to be 'on'!

Totally agree it's a mess. Just to note though that a guard can and indeed should sell an anytime ticket at the weekend to those who could have bought a ticket before boarding the train but neglected to do so.

The train was full and standing due to there being two separate camera crews (one BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page), one ITV) complete with attendant soundmen and presenters!

I think the hump at Exton really does make a difference. I was a bit cynical about the idea but the first time I worked a train there after it was installed there was an elderly couple with suitcases who would have struggled in the past. They had no problem whatsoever with the new hump.

As far as St Thomas is concerned I believe the slate platform surface has caused problems with installation.

Exton now has a Harrington Hump so no problem whatsoever boarding! Alighting can still be tricky as you have to play 'guess where the hump will be' and I say that as a Guard myself!

or even 37.

Hooray! Thanks Grahame-am now back with correct login!

It is a pretty poor service for what is one of the biggest villages on the route. It's true that access to the station is not what it could be and that the walk along the main road and up the hill to the village is 'interesting' in the least. There is, however vehicular access to the station, as well as parking, despite the owner of the station house making it clear he doesn't welcome rail travellers with open arms.
I've always thought that more should be done with lapford. A large number of the villagers work in Exeter and drive in everyday (one per car mostly) Surely a better service and better promotion could get some of those cars off the road. It's never going to have the traffic of Exeter St David's but Lapford should attract at least as many as Morchard Road or Copplestone.

He's given you the official source for station figures in the post above yours!

Bank holidays are treated as normal working days as Mr Dog Box says. We are rostered to work them as normal. Only extra bank holidays such as Tuesday's Queenathon attract any extra pay.

Great idea! Close stations and improve parking in others. Where does the land come from? Eggesford would be the most sensible station for a park and ride as all trains stop there but the land was all sold off and the big empty yard that could have done the job is private property.
Morchard Rd and Copplestone are close together but are two of the better used stations and there is no change of Morchard Road being closed because of the local rail user group having representation there (and quite rightly!)
Lapford has a shocking service for what is one of the biggest villages on the route. Yeoford needs its service as public transport struggles to get down there bus wise.
Portsmouth Arms and Chapelton really do get little use but what's the point of closing them? They aren't harming anybody!
Leave the stations alone I would say and although those from Barnstaple would tell you they are a massive majority of those who use the line the first train in from Barny in the morning and the 16.57 off Exeter St david's is only between sixty and seventy percent made up of citizens of the north Devon metropolis.
I think in general the service on the Barny line is pretty good nowadays and isn't going to get much better without considerable investment in infrastructure and rolling stock. Sure you can tinker a bit and take a stop out here and put one in there but until signalling at Eggesford and Crediton is changed and Salmon Pool crossing is removed timing is never going to be massively cut short.
I'd rather concentrate on getting rid of 143s on jointed track...

They never had Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains) machines there! They did have a Sportis way back when and when that went they no longer sold tickets from there.

This thread has something of the Ooslam bird about it!

There is no ticket office on the platform at Exeter Central. The passengers didn't walk past a ticket office on their way up the stairs to the gateline. There is a help point on the platform but not a ticket office which is staffed by rail operators without the necessary ticket machines!

Have just been up to Central and spoken to the Duty supervisor. He says the window we are talking about at the bottom of the stairs on platform 2 is a customer help desk and hasn't been used for selling tickets since the Sportis machine was removed 'over 8 years ago' The only outlet for staffed ticket sales is the main booking hall or the gateline. Perhaps it was a gateline operative you bought your ranger from. It certainly wasn't the platform staff.