FixMyTransport: REMOVE BARRIERS TO ENTRY AT ST PANCRAS!

Description

G P COOPER

When travelling from Cheshire to East Kent, the ticket barriers for accessing the HS1 Southeastern service do not recognise my tickets, despite their being valid. After my (second) contact with the company six months ago (their ref: 446243 / 233844) I've heard nothing, so I assume that no progress has been made. I am aware that I can ask staff to allow me through but at busy times this can result in a delay, which on my return journey denies me the chance of catching a particular onward train from Euston.

Comment

Problem History

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1 G P COOPER reported the issue on FixMyTransport. close 13:25 28 Sep 2011 #
2 G P COOPER wrote to Southeastern close 13:25 28 Sep 2011 #

Here is the letter that G P COOPER wrote.

Automatic ticket barriers fail to recognise 'through' tickets

When travelling from Cheshire to East Kent, the ticket barriers for accessing the HS1 Southeastern service do not recognise my tickets, despite their being valid. After my (second) contact with the company six months ago (their ref: 446243 / 233844) I've heard nothing, so I assume that no progress has been made. I am aware that I can ask staff to allow me through but at busy times this can result in a delay, which on my return journey denies me the chance of catching a particular onward train from Euston.
3 Simon Hewison commented close 14:21 29 Sep 2011 #

I have no problem with automatic ticket barriers, providing they are capable of recognising all valid tickets (of which there are a remarkable number of forms to handle these days), and providing that there are sufficient gateline staff.

Having ticket barriers not accept perfectly valid tickets is ridiculous.
4 Mark Jones commented close 14:58 29 Sep 2011 #

A suggestion is to split the tickets, get a ticket from Cheshire - London and from London - East Kent (which is valid on High Speed 1).

While your ticket is valid (having checked with a colleague who knows the National Routing Guide like the back of his hand!), it might not be recognised by the ticket barriers.

If you want to guarantee you get on a particular service you leave earlier. Simple as.

anorak

admin
5 G P COOPER commented close 20:50 30 Sep 2011 #

Yes I could buy tickets for the two legs of the journey, but even with a railcard I'd pay about £10 more - just because Southeastern (or whoever specified/designed and tested the system on their behalf) can't get their act together!

Restrictions on railcard use mean I can't get an earlier train up from Kent.
6 G P COOPER commented close 20:55 30 Sep 2011 #

...................btw the title is intended to be a pun! - like Simon I have no problems with using ticket barriers that work with any/all valid tickets!
7 [email address] responded to G P COOPER close 11:37 10 Oct 2011 #

Please do not reply to this email. We are unable to respond to
emails we receive at this address. If you’d like to email us
another question or comment please use our email contact
webform:
http://www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/abo...

Thank you

Southeastern Customer Relations, PO Box 63428, London, SE1P 5FD

Tel: 0845 000 2222

Ref: 505747 / 267215

Dear Mr Cooper

Thank you for your website comment which we received on 28
September 2011.

Ticket gates at St Pancras

I am sorry that you are continuing to experience problems with
your ticket in the ticket gates at St Pancras. I understand that
your ticket will not operate the automatic gates and you need to
speak to a member of staff at the manual ticket gate each time
you travel. I realise this must be annoying.

As you are aware, the introduction of Highspeed tickets has had
an adverse impact on a very small number of other tickets for
certain routes previously marked ‘Any Permitted’. We are
investigating the root cause of the problem and how it can be
resolved, but there is no easy software fix. So, due to the
number of tickets affected, this may take some time.

At the moment it is not clear, from what you have said, what
type of ticket you hold. We are currently looking at all of the
tickets that are causing problems. So, to assist us with this
process, we would appreciate it if you could send a copy of your
ticket to us. The ticket can then be passed to our Gateline
Manager for further investigation. Thank you for your assistance
with this matter.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to contact us.
Passenger feedback reinforces the message of where we must
almost redouble our efforts, and we hope that we will be able to
resolve the problems with your ticket for you soon.

Yours sincerely

Daniel Westlake

Customer Relations Officer

Southeastern

***Your feedback is important to us, so we would be grateful for
a minute of your time to complete our contact handling survey.
Please click on the link below.***

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9XRZWVB

Please do not reply to this email. We are unable to respond to
emails we receive at this address. If you’d like to email us
another question or comment please use our email contact
webform:

Disclaimer

This e-mail and any attachments (together "this E-mail") are
strictly confidential and intended solely for use by the
individual or entity to whom they are addressed. Unauthorised
use of this E-mail (including disclosure, copying and printing
for any reason) is strictly prohibited.

Southeastern denies any responsibility and liability in relation
to the transmission and use of this e-mail to the extent
permitted by law. Any views expressed by an individual within
this e-mail do not necessarily reflect the views of
Southeastern.

Any e-mails sent to Southeastern personnel may be monitored by
systems or persons other than the addressee for purposes of
ascertaining whether they comply with Southeastern’s policies.

If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the
sender immediately by e-mail, facsimile or telephone.

Please visit our website at: www.southeasternrailway.co.uk

London & South Eastern Railway Limited is a company registered in England (No.04860660).
Registered office: 3rd Floor, 41-45 Grey Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6EE.

Please do not reply to this email. We are unable to respond to
emails we receive at this address. If you’d like to email us
another question or comment please use our email contact
webform:
http://www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/abo...

Thank you

Southeastern Customer Relations, PO Box 63428, London, SE1P 5FD

Tel: 0845 000 2222

Ref: 505747 / 267215

Dear Mr Cooper

Thank you for your website comment which we received on 28
September 2011.

Ticket gates at St Pancras

I am sorry that you are continuing to experience problems with
your ticket in the ticket gates at St Pancras. I understand that
your ticket will not operate the automatic gates and you need to
speak to a member of staff at the manual ticket gate each time
you travel. I realise this must be annoying.

As you are aware, the introduction of Highspeed tickets has had
an adverse impact on a very small number of other tickets for
certain routes previously marked ‘Any Permitted’. We are
investigating the root cause of the problem and how it can be
resolved, but there is no easy software fix. So, due to the
number of tickets affected, this may take some time.

At the moment it is not clear, from what you have said, what
type of ticket you hold. We are currently looking at all of the
tickets that are causing problems. So, to assist us with this
process, we would appreciate it if you could send a copy of your
ticket to us. The ticket can then be passed to our Gateline
Manager for further investigation. Thank you for your assistance
with this matter.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to contact us.
Passenger feedback reinforces the message of where we must
almost redouble our efforts, and we hope that we will be able to
resolve the problems with your ticket for you soon.

Yours sincerely

Daniel Westlake

Customer Relations Officer

Southeastern

***Your feedback is important to us, so we would be grateful for
a minute of your time to complete our contact handling survey.
Please click on the link below.***

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9XRZWVB

Please do not reply to this email. We are unable to respond to
emails we receive at this address. If you’d like to email us
another question or comment please use our email contact
webform:

Disclaimer

This e-mail and any attachments (together "this E-mail") are
strictly confidential and intended solely for use by the
individual or entity to whom they are addressed. Unauthorised
use of this E-mail (including disclosure, copying and printing
for any reason) is strictly prohibited.

Southeastern denies any responsibility and liability in relation
to the transmission and use of this e-mail to the extent
permitted by law. Any views expressed by an individual within
this e-mail do not necessarily reflect the views of
Southeastern.

Any e-mails sent to Southeastern personnel may be monitored by
systems or persons other than the addressee for purposes of
ascertaining whether they comply with Southeastern’s policies.

If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the
sender immediately by e-mail, facsimile or telephone.

Please visit our website at: www.southeasternrailway.co.uk

London & South Eastern Railway Limited is a company registered in England (No.04860660).
Registered office: 3rd Floor, 41-45 Grey Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6EE.
8 G P COOPER added an update close 20:26 11 Oct 2011 #

Update 11th October
Response from Southeastern which restates that it's difficult to resolve the issue (!), but does at least ask me for details of the 'problem' ticket (my description). I have just responded to them (have to go via their website) stating that I'll have the information later this month when I next travel that particular route.
9 G P COOPER added an update close 12:15 03 Nov 2011 #

Final response received from Southeastern copied below:
10 G P COOPER added an update close 12:16 03 Nov 2011 #

Dear Mr P Cooper, Thank you for your website comment which we received on 11 October 2011. Sandbach to Margate tickets at St Pancras Further to your recent correspondence, and my previous letter to you, I have spoken with our Gateline Manager about your particular case. I regret to advise you that there are no plans at present to allow these tickets through the ticket gates at St Pancras International. As very few UK stations have a 'plus Highspeed' route, many tickets originating to or from a non-Southeastern station have to be coded with the route 'Any Permitted'. Unfortunately, due to the complicated way that ticket routeing works and the way that the gates check this, allowing them through would let a large number of invalid tickets through also. As a result, a business decision was taken that all 'Any Permitted' tickets will be manually checked to ensure a route via the Highspeed line is a legitimate route. I do appreciate that this will be disappointing news, but I hope you can understand our position. To ensure that passengers are not too inconvenienced by this, we will endeavour to ensure that sufficient staff are always available at St Pancras station to check tickets as required. Once again, I am very sorry for the significant inconvenience caused to you and many other passengers by this situation. I can assure you that all complaints and comments are being recorded, and thank you for taking the time to contact us. Yours sincerely Daniel Westlake Customer Relations Officer Southeastern
11 G P COOPER added an update close 12:17 03 Nov 2011 #

...............so that's a 'NO' then! Good to know that customers are at the heart of things. O&O
12 G P COOPER commented close 20:13 26 Jan 2012 #

This issue will have to remain unresolved unless/until Southeastern change their stance or there is a change of TOC; see my updates 10 and 11 in Problem History