Barriers Swallowing Tickets With Remaining Validity

[Dai Corner]

The other day I was travelling on the return half of a Cardiff Queen Street to Bridgend ticket. I alighted at Cardiff Central and on leaving the barrier swallowed my ticket. I expressed surprise to the man supervising the barriers who advised me to show my ticket to staff next time if I wanted to retain it to continue my journey. He even offered to retrieve for me if I wished but I declined as I didn't want to go on to Queen Street later.


Any comments on this practice? Does it happen anywhere else?

 

[hexagon789]

The other day I was travelling on the return half of a Cardiff Queen Street to Bridgend ticket. I alighted at Cardiff Central and on leaving the barrier swallowed my ticket. I expressed surprise to the man supervising the barriers who advised me to show my ticket to staff next time if I wanted to retain it to continue my journey. He even offered to retrieve for me if I wished but I declined as I didn't want to go on to Queen Street later.


Any comments on this practice? Does it happen anywhere else?

When you buy a ticket to Glasgow Central at my local station, they always print as "To Glasgow Central/Queen Street", yet at Central the barrier will always swallow despite the fact that you could seemingly use it to catch the shuttle bus to Queen Street if you wanted to.

 

[sheff1]

Haymarket barrier has always kept my tickets to Edinburgh.

Tickets to St Pancras used to be retained at London Bridge but the last time I was there I showed the ticket to the attendant who advised me to put it through and it was returned. Seems the gates might have been reprogrammed, but I will still show the ticket next time.

The opposite also happens at many places - ticket returned when leaving at the last possible station valid on that ticket.

 

[Parallel]

I’ve had a ticket to from Cardiff Central to Cardiff Bay before and I alighted at Cardiff Queen Street to buy some lunch from the nearby shop and the barrier swallowed my ticket.

I wonder if it’s how Queen St and Central barriers have been programmed. When I’ve asked for a return from Penarth to Cardiff Central before, I’ve been sold one to Queen St.

 

[Cletus]

In February, the Haymarket barriers kept my Central Scotland 3-day Rover that I'd only bought 15 minutes earlier!

 

[WelshBluebird]

I wonder if it’s how Queen St and Central barriers have been programmed. When I’ve asked for a return from Penarth to Cardiff Central before, I’ve been sold one to Queen St.

I've had similar issues at both Central and Queen street before, aswell as at Cathays, so I'd say it 100% is how they are set up.

 

[mallard]

I once had the barrier at the car-park exit at Leicester swallow my season ticket! Although I suspect that was a one-off error rather than programming problem. Had to wait about 10 minutes for a member of staff to turn up and release it.

 

[A Challenge]

Outboundary travelcards are swallowed by barriers when returning to the origin when they have further validity - though not from that station, as you could get an outboundary travelcard, travel into London, back to the origin, and then carry on round London all day, as long as you (for example) bought a Boundary Zone 6 ticket to get you back in to the edge of the zones or got yourself in another way.

 

[Mojo]

The gateline at Kings + Mainline station retains many tickets to London Terminals even though they are valid to Old Street and Moorgate via LUL services. For several years after it was first installed, customers tickets were returned so I am not sure what has lead to the change in this policy (other than the introduction of NR services to Old Street and Moorgate on weekends and evenings).

 

[Hadders]

The gateline at Kings + Mainline station retains many tickets to London Terminals even though they are valid to Old Street and Moorgate via LUL services. For several years after it was first installed, customers tickets were returned so I am not sure what has lead to the change in this policy (other than the introduction of NR services to Old Street and Moorgate on weekends and evenings).

I travel from Stevenage to Kings Cross at least once a week (normally more often) using an Anytime Day Return to London Terminals and I’ve never had my ticket retained by the barrier at Kings Cross.

 

[Mojo]

I travel from Stevenage to Kings Cross at least once a week (normally more often) using an Anytime Day Return to London Terminals and I’ve never had my ticket retained by the barrier at Kings Cross.

There are plenty of posts on the forum from people who have complained about their tickets being retained.

 

[philthetube]

In February, the Haymarket barriers kept my Central Scotland 3-day Rover that I'd only bought 15 minutes earlier!

When I bought a Spirit of Scotland 4 in 8 I was specifically advised not to let it within three feet of a barrier, exact words from Fort William ticket office.

 

[Ralph Ayres]

Setting gates correctly to allow break of journey is quite complex; the gates have to be told every possible origin-destination pair and ticket type to accept. In addition a balance has to be struck between giving back every ticket with any possible further validity and capturing those where most would just be thrown on the ground (or sold on by touts) if given back. Some TOCs take a lot of care over the settings while others seem to pay them little attention.

 

[StoneRoad]

If there is any validity left on the ticket, I'll always go to the staffed barrier. I've been caught out once, that was enough.

 

[185143]

I broke my journey at Haymarket last year when I was heading to Waverley to catch my train home, I was about to put my ticket in the barrier-but thought it may be eaten. The staff confirmed it would and happily let me out, even recommending a chippy for me!

The barriers at Manchester Oxford Road retain tickets to 'Manchester Stns', which I don't agree with. I've met someone in the coffee shop on the station approach before now then carried on to Piccadilly. (With a season ticket!) At least in that case Oxford Road is within a stations group-the idea of Haymarket barriers retaining tickets doesn't sit too well with me.

 

[Failed Unit]

I had a ticket valid to London zone 1&2 retained at Dalston Kingsland when I had to change trains there to continue on the East London line via Dalston Junction. I was not impressed and wish I hadn’t used the barrier. There were no staff around either so I had to pay again.

 

[Starmill]

I had a ticket valid to London zone 1&2 retained at Dalston Kingsland when I had to change trains there to continue on the East London line via Dalston Junction. I was not impressed and wish I hadn’t used the barrier. There were no staff around either so I had to pay again.

A ticket to Zone U12? Where were you going?

 

[Failed Unit]

A ticket to Zone U12? Where were you going?

Canada Water.

 

[island]

I had a ticket valid to London zone 1&2 retained at Dalston Kingsland when I had to change trains there to continue on the East London line via Dalston Junction. I was not impressed and wish I hadn’t used the barrier. There were no staff around either so I had to pay again.

There has to be staff around when barriers are in operation.

 

[Failed Unit]

There has to be staff around when barriers are in operation.

I know that is what is supposed to happen, but no idea where they had gone.

 

[njamescouk]

I always show the ticket now, had outward part of 2 part return swallowed at Cambridge, guy on the barrier shrugged his shoulders.

luckily northern rail didn't pull my fingernails out for not having both parts of the ticket on the way back, but still just another way the traincos go about making rail travel unpleasant.

 

[johnnychips]

‘luckily northern rail didn't pull my fingernails out for not having both parts of the ticket on the way back’

Are you supposed to keep the outward part of a return ticket once you’ve travelled that leg? Never knew that, never been asked to show it to the guard either.

 

[Hadders]

‘luckily northern rail didn't pull my fingernails out for not having both parts of the ticket on the way back’

Are you supposed to keep the outward part of a return ticket once you’ve travelled that leg? Never knew that, never been asked to show it to the guard either.

There is no requirement to do this.

The outward portion of a return ticket is only valid if you are in possession of the return portion though.

 

[swt_passenger]

There has to be staff around when barriers are in operation.

The barriers have to be supervised, but it can be remotely.

 

[Joe Paxton]

I know that is what is supposed to happen, but no idea where they had gone.

Probably in the ticket office which overlooks the gateline.

 

[swt_passenger]

I had a ticket valid to London zone 1&2 retained at Dalston Kingsland when I had to change trains there to continue on the East London line via Dalston Junction. I was not impressed and wish I hadn’t used the barrier. There were no staff around either so I had to pay again.

What made you choose to walk rather than do the cross platform interchange and double back within the gated area at Canonbury? Easy to suggest in hindsight of course...

 

[Failed Unit]

What made you choose to walk rather than do the cross platform interchange and double back within the gated area at Canonbury? Easy to suggest in hindsight of course...

Engineering work, all services on the line were starting terminating at Dalston Junction on that day. The North London line was running as normal but the East London line was not going to Highbury and Islington.

 

[swt_passenger]

Engineering work, all services on the line were starting terminating at Dalston Junction on that day. The North London line was running as normal but the East London line was not going to Highbury and Islington.

Ah OK. Probably an issue that no-one ever predicted then. I wonder if most of TfL's focus in these circumstances is on how Oyster will be affected, rather than paper point to point tickets?

 

[Failed Unit]

Ah OK. Probably an issue that no-one ever predicted then. I wonder if most of TfL's focus in these circumstances is on how Oyster will be affected, rather than paper point to point tickets?

Yeah it was frustrating - but as you say not something that would happen a majority of the time. The only other circumstance I could think of is someone wanting to break the journey. But normally if I am breaking a journey I would seek out a staff member.

 

[Joe Paxton]

Yeah it was frustrating - but as you say not something that would happen a majority of the time. The only other circumstance I could think of is someone wanting to break the journey. But normally if I am breaking a journey I would seek out a staff member.

Using Oyster/contactless around London I have occasionally routed myself via an out-of-station interchange in order to quickly pick something up from a shop, though I'd not attempt to do so on a zone U# ticket. (I absolutely appreciate you weren't trying to break your journey at all, just complete it!)