Birmingham New Street human 'ticket barriers' - what a massive waste

[pinguini]

What a huge waste of money it is having people standing at Birmingham New Street 'checking tickets'. 3 times out of 4 they let anyone and everything through as they're talking between themselves. All other times you just need to have something vaguely orange in your hand and its fine.

 

[Geezertronic]

What a huge waste of money it is having people standing at Birmingham New Street 'checking tickets'. 3 times out of 4 they let anyone and everything through as they're talking between themselves. All other times you just need to have something vaguely orange in your hand and its fine.

As a frequent user of Birmingham New Street I have to disagree to an extent as I always get ticket checked and it's usually an extensive look at the ticket too.

 

[pinguini]

As a frequent user of Birmingham New Street I have to disagree to an extent as I always get ticket checked and it's usually an extensive look at the ticket too.

You must have one of those faces

 

[Cherry_Picker]

Automatic barriers are going in as part of the Gateway Plus refurbishment, are they not?

 

[pinguini]

Automatic barriers are going in as part of the Gateway Plus refurbishment, are they not?

When will that be finished, though. The platform refurbishments seem to have been going on for a couple of years and they've barely finished one.

 

[Ferret]

As a frequent user of Birmingham New Street I have to disagree to an extent as I always get ticket checked and it's usually an extensive look at the ticket too.

Aren't you the unlucky one?! A few of those barrier staff are just hopeless! No idea what they are looking at. I've seen them let all sorts through....

 

[dave_wm]

In April this year the current concourse will close and half the new station will open - with access from new stairs & escalators behind the hoardings towards the 'B' end of each platform at present. And they've done more than one platform - 1, 10, 11 and 12 are done, with 8 currently ongoing (unless they've finished that recently).

In theory the human barriers will only last until April therefore.

 

[Ferret]

In April this year the current concourse will close and half the new station will open - with access from new stairs & escalators behind the hoardings towards the 'B' end of each platform at present. And they've done more than one platform - 1, 10, 11 and 12 are done, with 8 currently ongoing (unless they've finished that recently).

In theory the human barriers will only last until April therefore.

In no way would I describe those platforms as 'done'!

 

[pinguini]

In no way would I describe those platforms as 'done'!

Tried to get off Platform 1 recently upon arrival of a busy train? Takes the best part of 10 or 15 minutes to get out of the station!

 

[Temple Meads]

Aren't you the unlucky one?! A few of those barrier staff are just hopeless! No idea what they are looking at. I've seen them let all sorts through....

Agreed, they let anyone with the vaguest hint of a ticket through.

I've never had my ticket checked properly in about 10 times of using those "barriers".

 

[dave_wm]

AFAIK that's the sum total of the work being done at platform level, though there may be waiting rooms (re)opening. Although the 'B' end stairs & escalators will be opened up in April, and that will bring some natural light down onto the concourse - presumably whilst the current concourse is closed they'll try and do something similar to the 'A' end stairs & escalators.

 

[Wath Yard]

Aren't they there for security reasons, not revenue protection? You never know some middle aged woman might want to see her parents to their train - just imagine the ensuing chaos and carnage.

 

[yorkie]

They've been known to accept "bite cards", but they do check occasionally.

Someone was threatened with prosecution and had to settle out of court, after he admitted to staff that he would have walked out without a ticket if they had not been there. And a forum member had a Rover rejected by barrier staff who claimed it was not valid at that location, when it definitely was.

So they do check sometimes, but I wouldn't trust them to have much knowledge of the ticket conditions, Routeing Guide etc.

 

[the sniper]

They do check them. I've seen people stopped and sent to the RPIs when they've been available.

If there's only the people on the barrier available, with the RPIs not being there/not available, what else are they supposed to do? Deal with the person by themselves (if they even can/have been trained to) and let hundreds of people just stroll through unchecked?

I'd suggest that the barrier staff are mainly there to act as a deterrent against blatant and intentional fare evasion, give an impression of security and provide reassurance for the 'I shouldn't have brought a ticket as no one can be bothered to check it...' crowd.

In no way would I describe those platforms as 'done'!

Yep, they're done apparently. And they're already almost as filthy as the old platforms, so you can't be blamed for not noticing the difference. The only difference is now that the platforms get flooded with water every time it rains.

Here's hoping the work upstairs is much more impressive, which, to be fair, it should be.

 

[Mr Spock]

Aren't they there for security reasons, not revenue protection? You never know some middle aged woman might want to see her parents to their train - just imagine the ensuing chaos and carnage.

No problem with that as they have a supply of tickets for people to access platforms.

 

[pinguini]

In April this year the current concourse will close and half the new station will open - with access from new stairs & escalators behind the hoardings towards the 'B' end of each platform at present. And they've done more than one platform - 1, 10, 11 and 12 are done, with 8 currently ongoing (unless they've finished that recently).

In theory the human barriers will only last until April therefore.

Just visited Birmingham this evening and both alighted and departed on Platform 1. If their project was to get a sack of dust, apply generously throughout platform and install a 3-seater bench then indeed, platform is done!!

 

[D1009]

Yep, they're done apparently. And they're already almost as filthy as the old platforms, so you can't be blamed for not noticing the difference. The only difference is now that the platforms get flooded with water every time it rains.

Wouldn't that be why they get dirty?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Tried to get off Platform 1 recently upon arrival of a busy train? Takes the best part of 10 or 15 minutes to get out of the station!

Sometimes the lift is the quickest way to exit platforms 1 or 12.

 

[Philip Elliott]

The New Street platforms certainly aren't 'done'. This is only the phase 1 works which is about installing wiring etc. The platform buildings will be done in phase 2.

So far the phase 1 works have taken..

Platform 1 - 9 months
Platform 12 - 12 months
Platform 10 - 7 months
Platform 11 - 3 months

They really need to get a move on to do two passes on each of the platforms...

 

[Class172]

Most of the time I've used the station, there aren't even any staff checking tickets, however when they have been there, most tickets just seem to be let through on the fact you have a ticket, valid or not.

 

[Clip]

Whilst there are conflicting stories about the 'human barrier' its better than nothing until the gateline is installed and it will be making people more aware of what they can expect when it is installed and let those who don't like to purchase a ticket something to think about for when that time comes.

 

[Goatboy]

Whilst there are conflicting stories about the 'human barrier' its better than nothing until the gateline is installed

Is it?

Why is it only us here in the UK that have such a fascination with gatelines?

Why is there no gateline at Berlin HBF, for example? You don't even need to pass a gateline to use the metro, either. Are we just a nation of scummy untrustworthy crooks or something?

 

[Clip]

Is it?

Why is it only us here in the UK that have such a fascination with gatelines?

Why is there no gateline at Berlin HBF, for example? You don't even need to pass a gateline to use the metro, either. Are we just a nation of scummy untrustworthy crooks or something?

I don't live work nor travel in berlin so I am not going to answer why they don't.

And yes we have plenty of people who travel without tickets in this country.

Next

 

[Ferret]

Although, as consistently argued by Yorkie, me, and others (!!), barriers are not the be all and end all when it comes to dealing with faredodging!

 

[Starmill]

They've been known to accept "bite cards", but they do check occasionally.

Someone was threatened with prosecution and had to settle out of court, after he admitted to staff that he would have walked out without a ticket if they had not been there. And a forum member had a Rover rejected by barrier staff who claimed it was not valid at that location, when it definitely was.

So they do check sometimes, but I wouldn't trust them to have much knowledge of the ticket conditions, Routeing Guide etc.

A story which is all to familiar from a little further north, with little sign they are a temporary problem. Worse, our human barriers are expected to issue tickets.

I don't know if the New Street ones are, but sometimes you'd have more luck trying to buy your ticket from an actual ticket gate!

 

[Clip]

Although, as consistently argued by Yorkie, me, and others (!!), barriers are not the be all and end all when it comes to dealing with faredodging!

I'm not sure nor anyone else has said they are have we?

Amazing how its just accepted with the tube(albeit with a much better fare structure) but people bang on about them on the rail network like they are the work of the devil. Yet no-one really seems to make that point enough

 

[Goatboy]

I don't live work nor travel in berlin so I am not going to answer why they don't.

Don't you find it quite interesting though? I do.

I don't personally care about gatelines as I've always got a valid ticket so they never pose me a problem but I do find it interesting how we must make our railway stations into mini fortresses yet elsewhere in Europe even mass transit like metro systems are devoid of barriers. The very suggestion that a bunch of uninterested staff who barely even look at a ticket is 'better than nothing' is quite puzzling.

 

[D1009]

Don't you find it quite interesting though? I do.

I don't personally care about gatelines as I've always got a valid ticket so they never pose me a problem but I do find it interesting how we must make our railway stations into mini fortresses yet elsewhere in Europe even mass transit like metro systems are devoid of barriers. The very suggestion that a bunch of uninterested staff who barely even look at a ticket is 'better than nothing' is quite puzzling.

Don't you think that fare evasion is less of a problem in Germany as they are a far more disciplined people?

 

[Goatboy]

Don't you think that fare evasion is less of a problem in Germany as they are a far more disciplined people?

Perhaps thats it - I alluded to it in my post above.

A shame really.

 

[Trog]

Barriers can be a pain when your ticket has no magnetic stripe. As the likelyhood of the attending staff being free to let you through is inversely proportional to how much of a hurry you are in.

 

[yorkie]

I don't personally care about gatelines as I've always got a valid ticket so they never pose me a problem...

That logic is not infallible. I could give plenty of examples, but I'll resist