Ticket Office at Hazelhatch/Celbridge - closed this morning
 

This morning passengers arrived at Hazelhatch/ Celbridge station only to find that they could not purchase a ticket either from the ticket office nor the ticket machines as the shutters were down and the whole place was locked up. Lucky enough those with a Taxsaver ticket could walk straight through. A few people (who could not purchase a ticket) were not boarding the trains for fear of being fined at the other end. This situation is ridiculous - what is going on. Last week the lift was also locked up as was the waiting room - TG that the weather was good.

Where a station is closed with no alternative means to buy a ticket you pay at the other end

This is covered by the bye laws

That may very well be the case, but who's to stop a member of RPU handing out a fine to passengers who arrive at the other end without a ticket - this morning those without tickets were missing their trains and waiting for the ticket office to open.

If people want to delay themselves thats there business.

If there is no ability to buy a ticket, you may travel

Irish Rail was well aware that Hazelhatch was not staffed this morning

People delayed because of the scaremongering by IR (travelling without a ticket). Actually the chap that I spoke to at the ticket barrier (in Heuston) was not aware that the ticket office (in Hazelhatch) was shut :eek:

If you are worried, could you not take pictures of the ticket office and TVM.

What's wrong with my word?

The rule is simple - you must buy a ticket before travelling unless it is impossible to do so.

In this case it was clearly impossible, so no problem with travelling and paying at Heuston.

It would become pretty obvious to the staff there that there was a problem if several people came up with the same reason.

if IE knew it was closed a little sign saying people can purchase tickets at heuston would have solved the issue.

we may well know the bye laws, but people who see the warning signs about not having a ticker (which does not say "Except when station is closed" ect) will be put off getting on a train.

BTW, what possible reason can IE have for not staffing a major station in rush hour? Is it staffed by hungover kerrymen/women?

Agreed though best practice would be for gate staff to already be aware of all/any such issues via internal communications.

It's very offputting indeed. A reasurring sign is a very good idea and would allay unfounded concerns.

It's all very fine for us, in that we are all well informed as to what the Bye Laws are, from various postings on this website, however in general passengers are not aware that they can travel when it is impossible to purchase a ticket.

Actually I didn't recognise any of the passengers when I showed up for my usual train, I reckoned that they were passengers who would normally take an earlier train and were not going to chance travelling without a ticket, they were all just standing aound waiting for the ticket office to open.

Surly some common sense would be used by passengers. In saying that the control centre should of added a note to the displays or made an announcement.

They are able to view CCTV live and would of saw the problem?

Ah really the whole thing was ridiculous !! Possibly there was nobody looking at CCTV at that hour of the morning in Irish Rail.:rolleyes:

I fail to see how any blame can be placed on the passengers.

Its not a small station we are talking about either.

How can all the staff not turn up?

Isnt this the real issue here?

Hazelhatch may well be a big station and although busier than Adamstown, Clondalkin/Fonthill and Parkwest combined it is not especially busy. Does it really need to be staffed ?

Obviously you do not commute from Hazelhatch, and the staff (two) do a fine job. Possibly one of them was on holidays and no cover arranged.

it is a busy station and it needs to be staffed, certainly at rush hours.