Receive Passengers Only Fare

I have a question - I found something on the forum that was several years old but wanted to confirm. I hold a monthly train ticket from GCT to White Plains.The other day, I accidentally boarded a peak Southeast-bound train at Harlem with the first advertised stop as Chappaqua. I checked the timetable and noticed that the train would be stopping at White Plains, but only to receive passengers.

Nevertheless, the conductor never came through to collect tickets and I exited the train at White Plains without issue. Had the conductor come by, would I have been charged the difference in my monthly pass to Chappaqua?

What is the intent on those trains which receive passengers only at certain stations - is it simply to just balance the volume of people commuting to various stops and to better serve customers commuting further north?

Yes, you should have been charged the difference. Of course I'm just a guy on the internet and the mods will say call the railroad for the official answer. I will save you the trouble. The intention is to try and avoid loading up the train with White Plains people so that people going to Chappaqua and points north can fit on to the train. Having worked some of those trains sometimes it's so crowded you can't get through after White Plains. There would only be a few going to White Plains but we definitely charged them to Chappaqua.

The fare difference does makes sense. Thank you for your "unofficial" answer - it does confirm what I expected.

And yes, with the abundance of trains that run express to White Plains during the peak period, it only seems fair to try and lessen the volume of people on other trains.

Thanks again!

The other thing with the "receive only" stop is there is no requirement for all the doors to open. Trains I've worked where White Plains receives only, a conductor keys open one door each and collects the tickets of anyone boarding the train on the platform.

This reminds me of an experience quite a few years ago when I was working passenger out of Grand Central Terminal. I generally preferred afternoon jobs and at the time I had a regular job that did a trip to Harrison turned and DH equipment back to GCT and then ran a train to New Canaan leaving GCT around 6:00 PM, first stop Stamford. The local to harrison made just Larchmont, Mamaroneck and Harrison but we crossed over to track four to make a pick up stop at New Rochelle. We had one passenger who rode the train often and sneaked off at the pick up stop at New Rochelle. The regular conductor really did not care and he rode the head car. One trip I had a spare conductor who had previous problems with this individual and he wanted me to pull the head cars off the platform and he key open a door to let the small number of passengers on at New Rochelle. Moral of the story was the guy ended up at Larchmont and he raised hell. He accused me of not stopping at the station and the conductor of everything possible. The railroad told him to ride a train that stopped at New Rochelle. OH he got charged the fare from New Rochelle to Larchmont and also the fare back to New Rochelle. He got home late and probably in a bad mood. Memories!!
Noel Weaver

Great story. He had it coming!

Of course these days, the railroad would make the stop a regular stop and punish the train crew for giving the "customer" a hard time.

Great story Noel! Thanks for telling it. Ken, has the railroad really changed that much in recent years, that it would be like you predicted or were you kidding/exaggerating?

Some of it is true and some of it is sarcasm based upon things I've read. I'm sure MN took some sort of action against the crew in that "well educated person" video from 2011 even though the crew in that case did nothing wrong by asking a snob to behave herself or face removal from the train. Also notice my use of "customers" instead of "passengers" to reflect how management regards disruptive riders these days. On NJT (as an example), both "customers" would have received courtesy ride tickets and the crews given some form of discipline even though the "customers" were in the wrong.

Everyone:

On a related matter: What is Metro-North's policy regarding City Ticket use on New Haven Line trains at Fordham,
125th Street and GCT? I know that they are only supposed to be honored on Harlem Line trains but in the instance
that a passenger boards the wrong train - or perhaps deliberately does seeking a faster ride - what then happens?

MACTRAXX

probably : they get charged mount vernon east to gct plus on board fare and get to use their city ticket another day.

Unfortunate for said passenger the city ticket is not good another day, only the day it was purchased. Furthermore, to refund the city ticket, there is a $10 processing fee. Being the tickets is worth less than $10 it would not be of much use other than a book mark.

MACTRAXX wrote:Everyone:

On a related matter: What is Metro-North's policy regarding City Ticket use on New Haven Line trains at Fordham,
125th Street and GCT? I know that they are only supposed to be honored on Harlem Line trains but in the instance
that a passenger boards the wrong train - or perhaps deliberately does seeking a faster ride - what then happens?

MACTRAXX

In that case they hold on to their City-Ticket and pay the full on-board fare. The City-Ticket cannot be extended or used in combination with another ticket.

MACTRAXX wrote:Everyone:

On a related matter: What is Metro-North's policy regarding City Ticket use on New Haven Line trains at Fordham,
125th Street and GCT? I know that they are only supposed to be honored on Harlem Line trains but in the instance
that a passenger boards the wrong train - or perhaps deliberately does seeking a faster ride - what then happens?

MACTRAXX

For a NH train, the fare would be from the last stop the train made prior to Fordham, so usually Mt. Vernon.