£33.4 million for next batch of ticket gates

[Edvid]

The DfT issued a press release on plans to install another batch of ticket gates during 2027/28, including the new Cubic FEnX model (as seen on platform 3 at High Wycombe).

£33.4 million to fund new gateline improvements

New ticket gates at railway stations will help crack down on fare dodging, while reinvesting millions into better rail services across England.

www.gov.uk

As part of the government’s landmark rail reforms, new ticket gates will be installed at stations and platforms across England, targeting fare dodger hot spots to crack down on deliberate ticketless travel and make sure fares go towards improving the services passengers depend on.

Passengers will benefit from a fairer railway with £33.4 million of funding to support the rollout of a range of gate types at stations which currently have none, including new taller gates to prevent barrier jumping and more of the standard waist-high gates currently used across Great Britain and on the London Underground.

Fare evasion puts up to £400 million of rail revenue at risk each year and every pound lost to fare dodging is one that can’t be spent on improving services – whether maintaining the network, upgrading carriages, or improving wifi. These new gates will help protect revenue and put it back to work where it belongs: delivering better journeys for passengers.

[...]

Operators allocated funding to support the delivery of new gates include:

• Avanti West Coast: Stafford, Liverpool Lime Street
• East Midlands Railway: Market Harborough
• Greater Anglia: Witham, Rayleigh, Ware, Hertford East and Manningtree
• Thameslink Southern Great Northern: Royston, Stevenage, Elephant and Castle, Worthing and Gipsy Hill
• TransPennine Express: Manchester Piccadilly
• West Midlands Trains: Tamworth, Nuneaton, Worcester Foregate Street and Worcester Shrub Hill

This is the first stage of a wider programme to increase the number of ticket gates in use across England, with the potential for further rollout across the UK in the future. Delivery of the new ticket gates is expected by mid-2028, with the first phase of rollout in place during the first half of 2027.

 

[JonathanH]

The last paragraph is very interesting in being a recognition that a lot more stations will be gated. Presumably the value of having more robust gates and possibly getting to a stage where all urban stations are gated is being noted given ticketing changes.

I note that Stevenage and Worthing are already gated, so perhaps in line for the new more robust gatelines. If so, it would seem odd to just discard the existing gates rather than reinstalling them elsewhere.

 

[Benjwri]

The last paragraph is very interesting in being a recognition that a lot more stations will be gated. Presumably the value of having more robust gates and possibly getting to a stage where all urban stations are gated is being noted given ticketing changes.

I note that Stevenage and Worthing are already gated, so perhaps in line for the new more robust gatelines. If so, it would seem odd to just discard the existing gates rather than reinstalling them elsewhere.

How long ago were they installed? The High Wycombe ones were life expired, these could easily be too.

 

[MrJeeves]

I note that Stevenage and Worthing are already gated, so perhaps in line for the new more robust gatelines.

Is Worthing gated on the northern side, going to the car park? I didn't think it was, but I haven't been for quite a while.

 

[Horizon22]

The last paragraph is very interesting in being a recognition that a lot more stations will be gated. Presumably the value of having more robust gates and possibly getting to a stage where all urban stations are gated is being noted given ticketing changes.

I note that Stevenage and Worthing are already gated, so perhaps in line for the new more robust gatelines. If so, it would seem odd to just discard the existing gates rather than reinstalling them elsewhere.

The major long-term cost is of course reliably staffing them for the majority of service hours.

You can have the most fancy gates you like but without being staffed and monitored regularly (in person or possibly remotely), they’ll be open so they because considerably less of a deterrent.

 

[RPI]

At last, Worcester!

 

[Russel]

Well, that explains the recent addition of a gate to the side entrance at Tamworth.

Not sure where barriers will go at Nuneaton, the current ticket hall is quite small.

Though I'd suggest WMT's funding would be better spent on the Cross-City line which for many, operates as a free service.

 

[Horizon22]

At last, Worcester!

Foregate Street will be good but there’s not a massive available footprint - you’re talking maybe 3-4 on each side of the entrance?

I know there were some redevelopment plans a few years back proposed.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I note that Stevenage and Worthing are already gated, so perhaps in line for the new more robust gatelines. If so, it would seem odd to just discard the existing gates rather than reinstalling them elsewhere.

I would hope by Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly they mean filling in the gaps where there are no barriers at the moment, instead of just replacing the existing ones(although I don't think it'd be possible to gate off the lift from P12 and the 13/14 lounge since it exits out onto the street).

Not sure why Piccadilly is listed as TPE since it's Network Rail managed and it's mostly Northern services that go from the ungated platforms.
Likewise Avanti for Liverpool Lime St, although that presumably means they're gating the high numbered platforms which Avanti/LNWR/TfW/EMR use (in addition to Northern and TPE via Warrington Central services).

 

[reduke]

Forgive my ignorance, but unless this new gate style is also bump resistant, then can it really have much of an impact? (*except at stations that don't currently have barriers).

I see gate pushers nearly every time I travel, yet haven't seen anyone gate jumping in many many years...

 

[Russel]

Forgive my ignorance, but unless this new gate style is also bump resistant, then can it really have much of an impact? (*except at stations that don't currently have barriers).

I see gate pushers nearly every time I travel, yet haven't seen anyone gate jumping in many many years...

I was thinking the same, I can't remember the last time I saw someone jump over a barrier but I've seen plenty of people push through barriers.

 

[mangad]

I would hope by Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly they mean filling in the gaps where there are no barriers at the moment, instead of just replacing the existing ones(although I don't think it'd be possible to gate off the lift from P12 and the 13/14 lounge since it exits out onto the street).

Not sure why Piccadilly is listed as TPE since it's Network Rail managed and it's mostly Northern services that go from the ungated platforms.

Piccadilly's gateline is weird in that originally TPE put gates in on platforms 1-4. Then Avanti put gates in 5-7 (originally with no way to get between the two zones, but that's changed.) Network Rail certainly don't manage the ticketlines, even though they manage the station.

Anyway, maybe TPE's getting the money to improve the original gates. Or maybe they'll be the ones responsible for handling the extension of the gates to other platforms. Or maybe it's an error. Either way, given Northern, TPE and Network Rail are all state owned, doesn't matter that much really.

 

[Russel]

Piccadilly's gateline is weird in that originally TPE put gates in on platforms 1-4. Then Avanti put gates in 5-7 (originally with no way to get between the two zones, but that's changed.) Network Rail certainly don't manage the ticketlines, even though they manage the station.

Anyway, maybe TPE's getting the money to improve the original gates. Or maybe they'll be the ones responsible for handling the extension of the gates to other platforms. Or maybe it's an error. Either way, given Northern, TPE and Network Rail are all state owned, doesn't matter that much really.

It's madness that a station can have multiple gate lines operated by different TOC's across platforms that can in general, be used interchangeably.

 

[JonathanH]

Forgive my ignorance, but unless this new gate style is also bump resistant, then can it really have much of an impact? (*except at stations that don't currently have barriers).

I see gate pushers nearly every time I travel, yet haven't seen anyone gate jumping in many many years...

There are reportedly other enhancements as part of these new gates which will allow data to be recorded when people don't use the gates in their intended manner.

https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/article...llenge-with-new-design-ticket-barriers-91093/

The paddles are also driven by a breakthrough-resistant mechanism designed to make it much more difficult to force the gates open without slowing the normal flow of passengers.

The other most noticeable feature is the bar running along the top of the gateline.

Apart from the coloured lights indicating the direction of gate flow, there are also passenger sensors that track how many people use the gates when they are open, and whether the passenger walking through has tapped or swiped a ticket first.

Forget to tap, and the doors beep a short alarm as a warning. The audio beep also alerts station staff to a person who may have innocently forgotten to tap in and, where safe to do so, makes it easier to monitor active fare evaders.

On my visit, when the barriers were kept in the open position, the beep often had passengers already reaching for their tickets even before they spotted the platform staff waiting with a handheld scanner to check them.

Apart from reducing fare dodging, if the new design encourages more tapping among legitimate passengers, the railways should also obtain more accurate passenger counts at their stations, which is useful intelligence for planning station activity and train timetables.

The sensors can also detect tailgating — where a second person attempts to slip through immediately behind a paying passenger before the gates close. Although the barriers themselves cannot prevent this, they record the event, providing operators with data to target fare-evasion enforcement more effectively.

The key is that if rolled out more widely, then the gatelines deliver the intelligence that can lead to more focused interventions by police and ticket inspectors.

It's madness that a station can have multiple gate lines operated by different TOC's across platforms that can in general, be used interchangeably.

They all have the same effect. Are you implying that the staff have different attitudes to fare evasion because they wear a different uniform?

 

[speedy1]

Reading the ianvisits article, it kind of sounds like they're designed to replace gate staff, what with extra open-operation features and extra data collection etc

 

[JonathanH]

Reading the ianvisits article, it kind of sounds like they're designed to replace gate staff, what with extra open-operation features and extra data collection etc

Or alternatively to change their role from confrontation and challenge to one of providing passenger assistance. If the gates do the revenue protection role well, the attendant can assist passengers who need it.

 

[mangad]

It's madness that a station can have multiple gate lines operated by different TOC's across platforms that can in general, be used interchangeably.

It's a crazy setup. It is at least better now the Avanti and TPE controlled areas have been merged. Before they did that you could end up with a right bottleneck getting out of platforms 1-4. But you still get strangeness. Was there a fortnight ago and the Avanti gates were all open, and the TPE ones shut. There were TPE staff monitoring their gates, but for what reason?

 

[Russel]

They all have the same effect. Are you implying that the staff have different attitudes to fare evasion because they wear a different uniform?

No, please highlight where I'm implying that?

The below quote is one of the reasons I think it's a bit of an odd, inefficient setup.

It's a crazy setup. It is at least better now the Avanti and TPE controlled areas have been merged. Before they did that you could end up with a right bottleneck getting out of platforms 1-4. But you still get strangeness. Was there a fortnight ago and the Avanti gates were all open, and the TPE ones shut. There were TPE staff monitoring their gates, but for what reason?

 

[Northerngirl]

I'd love to see them at lime street p10, maybe 3 gates at a squeeze for a full cl390 is going to make for an experience

 

[Kite159]

Market Harborough will be interesting to see considering it has multiple exit points from the London bound platform into the car park, will those exits be closed up and replaced with a new side exit building (with remotely monitored gateline) with the main entrance being in the main building?

 

[OneOfThe48]

I note that Stevenage and Worthing are already gated, so perhaps in line for the new more robust gatelines. If so, it would seem odd to just discard the existing gates rather than reinstalling them elsewhere.

Is Worthing gated on the northern side, going to the car park? I didn't think it was, but I haven't been for quite a while.

I would expect it to be gating the northern entrance at Worthing and the lift entrances at Stevenage as neither have gates at the moment judging from their station maps

 

[Mainsideman]

Is it really going to take 2 years to install at 18 stations?

 

[vinnym70]

Will be interesting to see how Witham copes with ticket barriers as it's basically a station built on a footbridge. I don't see any obvious ways enough gates could be squashed into the available space to cope with the levels of passengers leaving evening trains that have left London. There's no doubt in my mind that barriers would be a benefit as it has none currently but I'd question the viability without a reasonable amount of enabling work.

 

[Russel]

Will be interesting to see how Witham copes with ticket barriers as it's basically a station built on a footbridge. I don't see any obvious ways enough gates could be squashed into the available space to cope with the levels of passengers leaving evening trains that have left London. There's no doubt in my mind that barriers would be a benefit as it has none currently but I'd question the viability without a reasonable amount of enabling work.

There is form for fitting barriers in locations that are far from ideal though, look at Derby...

 

[Mcr Warrior]

There is form for fitting barriers in locations that are far from ideal though, look at Derby...

Are these the ones (at Derby station) at the bottom of a flight of stairs coming down from the overbridge?

 

[Russel]

Are these the ones (at Derby station) at the bottom of a flight of stairs coming down from the overbridge?

Yes, it's quite a small space between the barriers and the stairs, which also includes the waiting area for the life and the departure boards resulting in people crowding around both sides of the gates.

It's not the worst setup in the world, but far from ideal.

 

[saismee]

The new FEnX gates are much, much harder to push through from what I've heard. One of the Cubic technicians said some of his colleagues tried to bump the demo they have in their office and none of them could. He showed a picture of the mechanism and I can see why they failed to force the paddles. They have heavy duty chains, sprockets, and a big motor. In all fairness, the current design is supposed to open with force to prevent crowd crushes. I think the new design uses cameras and sensors to detect this instead.

 

[Russel]

The new FEnX gates are much, much harder to push through from what I've heard. One of the Cubic technicians said some of his colleagues tried to bump the demo they have in their office and none of them could. He showed a picture of the mechanism and I can see why they failed to force the paddles. They have heavy duty chains, sprockets, and a big motor. In all fairness, the current design is supposed to open with force to prevent crowd crushes. I think the new design uses cameras and sensors to detect this instead.

I've never really brought into any of the reasons why the current design of barriers have to be so easy to force open, a big, red emergency release button along with being linked in with the fire alarm system should cover any emergency that should arise.

 

[CyrusWuff]

The new FEnX gates are much, much harder to push through from what I've heard. One of the Cubic technicians said some of his colleagues tried to bump the demo they have in their office and none of them could. He showed a picture of the mechanism and I can see why they failed to force the paddles. They have heavy duty chains, sprockets, and a big motor. In all fairness, the current design is supposed to open with force to prevent crowd crushes. I think the new design uses cameras and sensors to detect this instead.

Push-through should be seen as a last resort in terms of opening gates.

The entire array should open automatically in the event of power failure, fire alarm activation or an Emergency Open plunger being depressed. (And all the EMO plungers at a given station are supposed to be tested at the start of every day before the gates are put into service, and ideally the emergency release should be checked as part of the regular fire alarm tests.)

Individual gates can also be opened from the control panel on the gate itself or from the Station Control Unit. The latter can also open all the gates in a given array at once.

 

[deltic]

The major long-term cost is of course reliably staffing them for the majority of service hours.

You can have the most fancy gates you like but without being staffed and monitored regularly (in person or possibly remotely), they’ll be open so they because considerably less of a deterrent.

Netherlands seems to manage without staffing gates, even gating unstaffed stations.