What happens if barrier retains ticket later needed for delay repay?

[trainophile]

This hasn’t happened yet today but it might if my next train gets any later so that I miss my final train, all on Advance split tickets. All paper tickets.

Potential case in point:
Scarborough to Manchester Victoria Advance - arrived on time and I nipped through the barriers, which retained my ticket.

Next leg Man Vic to Liverpool Lime Street - on time and ticket returned on exiting the barrier.

Now awaiting arrival of what should form the 12:33 to BHM, where I should connect to the 14:50 to Hereford. However the LNR is currently showing not arriving until 12:36 and departing 12:39 (I’ll be surprised if it does!).

As it stands I should make my connection at New Street, but if there’s a simliar delay on its way back who knows? I don’t know the reason for the current problem.

If I did end up an hour late, I’d obviously want to claim for my full journey from Scarborough, the first leg of which was the most expensive ticket, which I no longer have. I stupidly never thought to take a photo as I didn’t expect it to be swallowed up.

How does one claim for a full journey without possession of all the comprising tickets?

 

[thejuggler]

As they are paper tickets request a receipt at point of purchase.

 

[AlterEgo]

Ask to retain the ticket, or take a photo of it beforehand.

If you end up without it use your booking confirmation or proof of purchase.

 

[jfollows]

It’s increasingly less of a problem with e-tickets, but you can always ask the staff to retrieve the ticket for you, or you can go through the manned gate to pre-empt the issue.

 

[800002]

I always go via the manned barrier anyway, asking politely if I can keep the ticket for my records.

Never been refused yet, although one over eager member of staff ripped through a valid ticket which had lost it mag-encoded data, to which they quickly apologised profusely for.
Sometimes the savvy one will take a corner off or scribble over it in an attempt to make it look like it's been checked / already used for travel.

 

[81A]

It’s increasingly less of a problem with e-tickets, but you can always ask the staff to retrieve the ticket for you, or you can go through the manned gate to pre-empt the issue.

Or use a machine or office that is known to issue PRT (Paper Roll Tickets-barcoded so can't be retained by a ticket barrier's magstripe reader+capture bin mechanism).

Edit-As long as you don't need to use TfL (or need magstripe tickets for some other reason)

 

[800002]

Edit-As long as you don't need to use TfL (or you need magstripe tickets for some other reason)

Or you just abhor them!
My semi-ludditian view, but I just can't stand them.
(Other opinions are available, but I don't have the luxury of being able to avoid them 100% of the time).

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Aug 2026 ==

Related, however.
Are there paper roll only TVMs?

 

[Bletchleyite]

You just go to a member of staff at the gateline and ask to keep it to claim. They will either just let you through, deface it and let you through, or ask you to put it in the gateline and then retrieve it for you, I've had all three of those when I've done so in the past.

Alternatively if it's a TOC that doesn't require you to deface it to claim DR online (do any still do that now?), just take a picture of it while still on the train. They won't want the original these days.

 

[trainophile]

All good advice for future reference, but in this case it’s too late to do any of it apart from maybe submitting a photo of my booking confirmation in place of the relevant ticket photo.

At the time I exited Man Vic I wasn’t expecting to become delayed as everything was showing on time at that stage, therefore hindsight is a wonderful thing!

 

[81A]

Related, however.
Are there paper roll only TVMs?

Some EMR TVMs only issue printed E-tickets (not quite PRT, but same idea). There is also a sizeable (and ever growing) number of TVMs that issue PRT as default (with magstripe only issued where strictly necessary, same as most ticket offices now).

 

[trainophile]

Made it! The principle remains though, do they go on trust when one ticket of a multi-leg multi-ticket journey is missing?

 

[tutacre]

Made it! The principle remains though, do they go on trust when one ticket of a multi-leg multi-ticket journey is missing?

Made it! The principle remains though, do they go on trust when one ticket of a multi-leg multi-ticket journey is missing?

Absolutely not. You need to evidence the ticket in other ways - receipts, booking confirmations, collection references etc.

 

[MrJeeves]

I just have a routine of taking photos of all my tickets before I travel, which means I can upload them later in a delay repay claim if I need to. Saves the hassle.

 

[styles]

For years I've taken photos of my tickets just in case.

The few times I've had a barrier swallow them and before I started taking photos, I've just said the barrier took it but here's my booking confirmation and they've paid out fine.

 

[JonathanH]

I just have a routine of taking photos of all my tickets before I travel, which means I can upload them later in a delay repay claim if I need to. Saves the hassle.

What about those ticket sellers who require the ticket to be cut in half for the claim?

 

[Bletchleyite]

What about those ticket sellers who require the ticket to be cut in half for the claim?

Ticket sellers don't process Delay Repay claims. Do any TOCs still require the ticket to be defaced to apply?

 

[styles]

Ticket sellers don't process Delay Repay claims. Do any TOCs still require the ticket to be defaced to apply?

I think some of them "require" it according to the form, but I don't think I've ever bothered and never had a claim rejected for having not done so.

 

[MrJeeves]

What about those ticket sellers who require the ticket to be cut in half for the claim?

As styles says, I've never done this and never had a problem.

There's no obligation for you to void your ticket to claim delay repay, and in some cases you may not be able to do this if breaking your journey with a period return, as it has more than 28 days validity and that is the window you can submit a claim within!

 

[Belperpete]

TfW used to require the ticket to be cancelled, and I had several claims which they required me to resubmit because I included a photo of a ticket that hadn't been cancelled. It hasn't happened recently though, so not sure if they still enforce this.

I always ask to retain my ticket if I exit somewhere where the barrier is likely to retain it. The alternative, if you buy your ticket at a station or from a TVM, is to always ask for a receipt, but it is easy to forget if you are in a hurry to catch the train.

 

[1955LR]

I have just made a delay repay claim with West Midland Trains having a Magstripe ticket & they needed a picture of it either cut in half or defaced. It specifically stated editing the picture to deface it was not acceptable .

 

[MrJeeves]

I have just made a delay repay claim with West Midland Trains having a Magstripe ticket & they needed a picture of it either cut in half or defaced. It specifically stated editing the picture to deface it was not acceptable .

But, again, I've submitted claims to WMT where tickets have not been defaced without issue.

 

[81A]

I have just made a delay repay claim with West Midland Trains having a Magstripe ticket & they needed a picture of it either cut in half or defaced. It specifically stated editing the picture to deface it was not acceptable .

How is this practical in the case of, for example, magstripe annual seasons (which, though getting rarer, are still issued)?

 

[Envoy]

What about the 2for1 deals to attractions - if you present your ticket as proof of arrival by train? Tough it has been swallowed up at a gate!

 

[trainophile]

TfW used to require the ticket to be cancelled, and I had several claims which they required me to resubmit because I included a photo of a ticket that hadn't been cancelled. It hasn't happened recently though, so not sure if they still enforce this.

I always ask to retain my ticket if I exit somewhere where the barrier is likely to retain it. The alternative, if you buy your ticket at a station or from a TVM, is to always ask for a receipt, but it is easy to forget if you are in a hurry to catch the train.

The ToD machine at Hereford always used to give a second CCST "receipt" automatically after your ticket came out, but the last couple of years that no longer happens. Must admit I always thought it was a waste of paper, most people walked off without waiting for it anyway or threw it on the floor, but I can see now that it might have been useful in such circumstances as above.

 

[brad465]

For years I've taken photos of my tickets just in case.

The few times I've had a barrier swallow them and before I started taking photos, I've just said the barrier took it but here's my booking confirmation and they've paid out fine.

Ditto

 

[Belperpete]

The few times I've had a barrier swallow them and before I started taking photos, I've just said the barrier took it but here's my booking confirmation and they've paid out fine.

But you only get a booking confirmation if you have booked onine.

I think that you only get a receipt if buying at a TVM or booking office if you specifically ask for it. There is a button on TVMs that you can press for a receipt, but you need to remember to select it before you go to payment. But do these receipts have sufficient info for a DR claim?

 

[cool110]

What about the 2for1 deals to attractions - if you present your ticket as proof of arrival by train? Tough it has been swallowed up at a gate!

You would almost always still have the return portion in that case.

 

[Envoy]

You would almost always still have the return portion in that case.

Thanks

 

[yorkie]

This hasn’t happened yet today but it might if my next train gets any later so that I miss my final train, all on Advance split tickets. All paper tickets.

Potential case in point:
Scarborough to Manchester Victoria Advance - arrived on time and I nipped through the barriers, which retained my ticket.

Next leg Man Vic to Liverpool Lime Street - on time and ticket returned on exiting the barrier.

Now awaiting arrival of what should form the 12:33 to BHM, where I should connect to the 14:50 to Hereford. However the LNR is currently showing not arriving until 12:36 and departing 12:39 (I’ll be surprised if it does!).

As it stands I should make my connection at New Street, but if there’s a simliar delay on its way back who knows? I don’t know the reason for the current problem.

If I did end up an hour late, I’d obviously want to claim for my full journey from Scarborough, the first leg of which was the most expensive ticket, which I no longer have. I stupidly never thought to take a photo as I didn’t expect it to be swallowed up.

How does one claim for a full journey without possession of all the comprising tickets?

For future reference, my advice - assuming e-tickets aren't available on the relevant flow - is as follows when this question cropped up previously:

I tend to take photos of my tickets these days using my phone on the train, if I am delay or am likely to be. That way if the ticket is taken by the barrier I still have a copy to claim with.

Back when I regularly used paper tickets, I would get into the habit of taking a photo of all the tickets used for any given journey, both for any expense claims* and also any potential DR claims.

Maybe 9 times out of 10 you won't need the photos, but it's a good habit to get into for peace of mind; of course these days it's superflous for almost all journeys as e-tickets are widely available on most flows.

* this was before Trainsplit automatically generated a really good expense claim receipt for all journeys, and also for claims for one specific organisation which doesn't accept receipts and demanded the original tickets, which I know is very rare, but...

 

[P Binnersley]

On one occasion (several yeara ago) I asked a member of staff and they retrieved the ticket from the barrier (doesn't work if several passengers have made the same journey).