Staff being difficult over attempts to break journey

[Bletchleyite]

What would help in the accessibility of e-tickets for visually impaired people is an option across multiple ticket retailers to link one's account within them to one's Railcard app so that the railcard automatically displays alongside the ticket for inspection. Having to move between two apps is a significant challenge.

This is technically possible on iOS - Trainline passes link directly to the app for instance.

 

[Haywain]

What would help in the accessibility of e-tickets for visually impaired people is an option across multiple ticket retailers to link one's account within them to one's Railcard app so that the railcard automatically displays alongside the ticket for inspection. Having to move between two apps is a significant challenge.

If this is a potential problem you could simply have the railcard app open in the background when you travel.

 

[londonbridge]

Posted this one before, travelling from Eastleigh to Croydon on the return half of a Brighton to Southampton not via London off peak return. Ticket wouldn’t work the gate:

Gateline attendant: “Southampton-Brighton? Where have you come from”?

Me: “Clapham, I’m breaking my journey”

“Good answer”, he replied in a sarcastic tone as he opened the gate.

 

[Djgr]

Yeah, that looks easy enough to miss. I'd love to see something visible when the Aztec code is, just as you'd expect with a physical ticket.

Doesn't look easy to miss at all

 

[mike57]

My understanding is a break on the return journey of most 'open' return tickets, i.e. any time, off peak, day etc. is allowed, and I have not run into problems with on train staff, but the only station within our area with barriers and a staffed gateline is Hull. I have always been told (not sure if its true) that in general you cannot break an outward journey

In terms of staff attitude the problem area seems to be agency staff that man gatelines. This seems to be exacerbated by organisational structure. ToC employs agency, agency then employ staff at lowest possible cost to meet staffing needs. In the event of a dispute everything is at arms length, with plenty of buck passing.

To me a lot of the issues come back to the massively over complicated fares structure, but thats a different thread

 

[Mainline421]

I have always been told (not sure if its true) that in general you cannot break an outward journey

The general rule is you can break any journey, a relatively small number of Off-Peak tickets forbid it on the outward, but most do not. All Anytime tickets allow it except to Belfast

 

[Hadders]

I have always been told (not sure if its true) that in general you cannot break an outward journey

You’ve been misinformed.

Break of journey is always allowed on the outward portion of a return (or single ticket) unless it is specifically prohibited in the restriction code.

Only a very, very small handful of restriction codes prohibit break of journey.

 

[Krokodil]

Doesn't look easy to miss at all

It's on a seperate page that most people would never see, buried in a small wall of text. Very different from having it front & centre on a CCST.

 

[Haywain]

It's on a seperate page that most people would never see, buried in a small wall of text. Very different from having it front & centre on a CCST.

But those who know how to put the ticket in a wallet app are likely to know about that separate page as it also contains the itinerary and reservations.

 

[redreni]

My understanding is a break on the return journey of most 'open' return tickets, i.e. any time, off peak, day etc. is allowed, and I have not run into problems with on train staff, but the only station within our area with barriers and a staffed gateline is Hull. I have always been told (not sure if its true) that in general you cannot break an outward journey

Staff on Hull gateline are wrong.

If you need to stand your ground, go to nre.co.uk/B3 (but substitute for B3 whatever restriction code is shown on your ticket).

Check that there are no break of journey restrictions (and I can't find any for return tickets like, for instance, Beverley to Selby where you might want to break at Hull). It won't say that there are no break of journey restrictions - if break of journey isn't mentioned in the restriction code then it's allowed by default.

If necessary, ask the gateline staff if they would mind just looking up the restriction code for your ticket and showing you where it says break of journey is not allowed. If you remain polite then I'm sure the worst outcome you'll get is that you'll be allowed through on a "just this once" basis.

 

[Krokodil]

But those who know how to put the ticket in a wallet app are likely to know about that separate page as it also contains the itinerary and reservations.

You've got a more generous view of the average passenger than I

 

[Adam Williams]

If necessary, ask the gateline staff if they would mind just looking up the restriction code for your ticket and showing you where it says break of journey is not allowed. If you remain polite then I'm sure the worst outcome you'll get is that you'll be allowed through on a "just this once" basis.

Too many of them unfortunately don't want to hear any suggestion that they could possibly be wrong.

 

[Sonic1234]

In terms of staff attitude the problem area seems to be agency staff that man gatelines. This seems to be exacerbated by organisational structure. ToC employs agency, agency then employ staff at lowest possible cost to meet staffing needs. In the event of a dispute everything is at arms length, with plenty of buck passing.

The flip side of agency staff is they are disinterested and will let you through with any old bit of orange paper or anything that approximates a ticket, if you even need that. After all, it's a temporary job, they're not employed directly by the railway and it's not their own money they're protecting.

The worst gateline staff are TfL, who are not agency.

As I always say, the ungated unstaffed halt is a precious thing. While I'm sure many do their jobs well, station staff have never added anything to my journey but often cause friction.

 

[saismee]

As I always say, the ungated unstaffed halt is a precious thing. While I'm sure many do their jobs well, station staff have never added anything to my journey but often cause friction.

Station staff are very much needed for assisting disabled passengers, as well as the safe dispatch of trains. Gateline staff are the ones who are causing friction (that's pretty much the entire purpose of gatelines). Still station staff, but give our lovely platform hosts some credit!

 

[D1537]

My understanding is a break on the return journey of most 'open' return tickets, i.e. any time, off peak, day etc. is allowed, and I have not run into problems with on train staff, but the only station within our area with barriers and a staffed gateline is Hull. I have always been told (not sure if its true) that in general you cannot break an outward journey

They're wrong, but I doubt that there are many people who break a journey at Hull anyway, unless they're changing trains.

 

[redreni]

They're wrong, but I doubt that there are many people who break a journey at Hull anyway, unless they're changing trains.

Why not?

And is it even particularly relevant how many people want to do this?

 

[D1537]

Why not?

And is it even particularly relevant how many people want to do this?

Yes, it's relevant because the gate staff would have wider experience of people doing it.

 

[Haywain]

I doubt that there are many people who break a journey at Hull anyway, unless they're changing trains.

If they are changing trains they are not breaking their journey.

 

[185143]

They're wrong, but I doubt that there are many people who break a journey at Hull anyway, unless they're changing trains.

Have a look where the bogs are at Hull. No doubt plenty of people will want to be let through to use them, debates over what constitutes a Break of Journey aside.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Have a look where the bogs are at Hull. No doubt plenty of people will want to be let through to use them, debates over what constitutes a Break of Journey aside.

At termini it's usual, if changing trains, to go to the concourse. It would be particularly strange if Hull's staff were trying to stop people doing that claiming it's break of journey, I have never heard of that anywhere.

At through stations, particularly those with high interchange volumes, a higher proportion of facilities are usually on the platform, though. At Crewe in particular the booking office is the only station facility outside the gateline - there's also a WH Smuggs but there's one on P5 as well so there's no need to go outside for that. If Preston was gated (it's not) there'd be absolutely nothing outside it bar the booking office.

 

[redreni]

Yes, it's relevant because the gate staff would have wider experience of people doing it.

Okay, but even if only a handful of people a week want to do it, that doesn't excuse Hull gateline telling a forum member that, in general, break of journey is not allowed on the outbound portion of a return.

How many customers would you expect them to give grief to before finding out what the rules actually are? Because I would have thought it should be none - if you don't know the rule, check there and then, or if that's not possible, assume the customer is right and then check. Maybe my expectations are way too high?

 

[MrElectrostar]

I would say that for break of journey I would usually show my ticket to the member of staff on the gates as barriers sometimes reject tickets when attempting to break journeys from experience and was also concerned that the gate may have eaten my ticket leaving me with nothing to present to re-enter Clapham Junction. For those reasons I find it easier to present my ticket but I have found that barriers seems to be getting better at permitting exit when breaking a trip so this may be something to try more in future.

 

[chrisp37]

The updated SWR app now helpfully expressly states "break of journey allowed" against any leg of a purchased journey where that is permitted. That kind of thing be helpful if staff are being difficult.

 

[Royston Vasey]

Station staff are very much needed for assisting disabled passengers, as well as the safe dispatch of trains. Gateline staff are the ones who are causing friction (that's pretty much the entire purpose of gatelines). Still station staff, but give our lovely platform hosts some credit!

Just had the pleasure of Birmingham International, where some of the Avanti platform staff seem to have been replaced with hired goons shouting STAND BEHIND THE YELLOW LINE but it's not as bad as it used to be, when we had loudhailers and repeated annoy announcements to that effect.

 

[Merle Haggard]

Just had the pleasure of Birmingham International, where some of the Avanti platform staff seem to have been replaced with hired goons shouting STAND BEHIND THE YELLOW LINE but it's not as bad as it used to be, when we had loudhailers and repeated annoy announcements to that effect.

I've been similarly shouted at there a few years ago, on the quite narrow platform alongside the waiting room, for briefly crossing the yellow line to avoid a group of passengers - who themselves were standing just behind the yellow line - with no train in sight.

 

[TUC]

If this is a potential problem you could simply have the railcard app open in the background when you travel.

It is quite fiddly to scroll between apps when Voiceover (Iphone's screen reader) is on .

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 May 2026 ==

This is technically possible on iOS - Trainline passes link directly to the app for instance.

That is good to know-although it is clearly preferable to be able to avoid using Trainline for all the usual reasons so if other ticket retailers started offering that it would be really helpful.

 

[Adam Williams]

other ticket retailers started offering that

TrainSplit offers this.

 

[FenMan]

I would say that for break of journey I would usually show my ticket to the member of staff on the gates as barriers sometimes reject tickets when attempting to break journeys from experience and was also concerned that the gate may have eaten my ticket leaving me with nothing to present to re-enter Clapham Junction. For those reasons I find it easier to present my ticket but I have found that barriers seems to be getting better at permitting exit when breaking a trip so this may be something to try more in future.

I used to have issues when breaking a journey at Clapham Junction. The magic formula I've found is to wave my ticket in the general direction of the gateline staff and saying "Just popping out for a fag" to get out and "Just been having a fag" when returning to the platforms.

 

[officewalla]

What makes anybody here think that gateline staff have intimate knowledge of restrictions on tickets unless it is written in black and white? Yes it is complicated and complex. Answer simplify the process. Not that difficult you would think.

 

[Adam Williams]

If you don't understand the conditions of tickets, you shouldn't be preventing passengers traversing through the barriers.