SWT train managers - what do they do exactly...and how often are RPIs on route?

[whole diary]

[Mookiemoo]

Anyone?

Only common knowledge is ad hoc trips from reading - kew bridge/waterloo but today I did waterloo to sunbury

Same announcement from the guard on leaving waterloo as on leaving any other terminus station

Same announcement of where he is located

No ticket check, no communication after the announcement on leaving waterloo, - and in this case not all stations were gated - sun bury isnt

Dumbelling, or non payment must be worse on SWT^▸ (South West Trains) than on FGW^▸ (First Great Western)

[devon_metro]

Many guards on SWT^▸ (South West Trains) are non commercial so don't do tickets

[inspector_blakey]

As far as I know SWT^▸ (South West Trains) still calls its staff guards, rather than train managers.

Some of them are, strictly, guards - they are responsible for the safe operation of the train, doors, timekeeping etc etc, at least as much as they can be under today's current operating rules. If you're being a total purist, a guard per se doesn't have any responsibility for revenue.

SWT also have a second grade, "commercial guards" (exactly equivalent to a conductor) who have the full range of guard's responsibilities and also look after revenue.

I don't use SWT often at all so I don't know how the guards/commercial guards are distributed around the system, but I would guess that the inner suburban workings might use non-commercial guards with occasional checks by RPIs^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector, or Retail Price Index, depending on context) since they'll have their work cut out working doors and despatching with frequent station calls. I'm also guessing that the staff used on longer distance services are generally commercial guards - I'm sure someone out there knows more about this than me and can fill in the blanks.

[Btline]

On my recent travels with SWT^▸ (South West Trains), the guards* have always come through the train (this is on mainline 444/450, not suburban trains, though). Other than that, they're in their mini office halfway along the train, or at in rear cab.

Is the Shepperton branch operated by Desiros, or 455s (the ones that look like 150s)

Not sure why the guards bother with announcements, as Celia says everything again!

_{*They always announce they're a guard, not a TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context).}

[Mookiemoo]

Shepperton today was a a suburban unit with no toilets, no tables 2+2 seating and some tube style seating - was four car - was the 1948 from waterloo

No idea what it was as it was the front four carriages on platform 2 parked so close in front of the rear train I could not see the unit number and I wasnt being sad enough to walk to the front to look

Just trying to match the militancy of the ticket sellers on the gate lines should you dare not have a ticket even if you wanted to buy one - with the complete lack of any desire to protect revenue on other services

[Btline]

If it had openable windows and slide doors (not plug) then it was a 455.

They should switch to DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) on suburban, to enable the guards to check tickets.

[Ollie]

Whenever I've travelled through SWT^▸ (South West Trains) a guard has sometimes come through. Recent journey from Winnersh Triangle to Reading, before joining I asked to buy a ticket from him (so doing the right thing) it broke his Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains) so he definitely wouldn't have been able to do anymore anyway

I know the Reading - Waterloo line has Revenue Protection work it, I think they join at Bracknell?

[JayMac]

Revenue Protection have indeed got an office at Bracknell.

Just the one run-in with them there.....

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=5075.msg46854#msg46854

[Ollie]

Oh yeah, remember reading that post

[Brucey]

Around the Portsmouth area, SWT^▸ (South West Trains) are really hot on their ticket checks.  The guard leaves the goldfish bowl* after every stop and checks tickets quite thoroughly.  The barrier staff in the area are very cautious about what they accept through the manual gate (see my previous post about not being allowed on the platform at Havant before the previous train left as I had an advance ticket).  And presumably the barriers are set to gobble any ticket even if a valid journey is still left on the ticket

* = The guard's office next to the central first class, which is surrounded by glass windows hence the slang local term goldfish bowl.