Are ticket barriers becoming more "rebellious"?

[43096]

Most services from platform 20-24 are local journeys within zones 1-6. With people further afield taking faster services from other platforms . It is highly likely the predominant form of ticket is either oyster, contactless or freedom pass

You obviously don’t use those platforms, then, as most services go beyond zone 6: Reading, Windsor and Weybridge are all outside. There’s plenty of paper and E-Tickets through those gates.

 

[kristiang85]

I find my gold card tickets getting rejected before 10.30 incredibly irritating at Waterloo, as it does just add to the chaos. Luckily so many trains are late these days, it's becoming less of a problem as I'll be at the barriers after 10.30... looking on the positive side of delays I guess.

 

[Segedunum]

How new are your gates at Newcastle in comparison though? I'd very much expect recent gates to be built to handle complex situation, but I seem I recall it being said on here a lot of the older traditional gates which are at most places are very limited

They're actually fairly old. If I'm not mistaken they've been there since Newcastle has had a gateline (so something like 2008/2009?)

They can pretty much read anything without issue now that e-tickets have become widespread. Unlike the pretty naff S&B gates at Manchester Victoria too, they don't require some sort of degree to know how to line your barcode up.

 

[Paul Kelly]

Have a think about Newcastle we have LNER ,Northern, TPE,XC,Lumo and Nexus fares with all their own restrictions

But the restriction code is not encoded on the magnetic stripe? I suppose you have to guess which restrictions apply, going by the TOC-specific route code?

 

[Haywain]

But the restriction code is not encoded on the magnetic stripe? I suppose you have to guess which restrictions apply, going by the TOC-specific route code?

No, it’s about the difference in the way the gateline logic can be set up. Cubic gates are significantly more restrictive compared to our S&B gates.

 

[fandroid]

I have found that the mainline ticket gates at Liverpool Street quite efficiently render a paper Travelcard useless for all later entries and exits. That's possibly why a previous contributor found that Norwich gates consistently refused them exit.

 

[APT618S]

I find the Newcastle barriers unique when using an All Line Rover (ALR) in that they do not allow entry (Not valid at this location error) but do allow exit.
Whilst approx 90%+ of the stations reject ALRs with only a small % being OK such as Leeds in my experience they are consistent for both entry and exit.
London Liverpool St Mainline allows entry/exit with an ALR and does not wipe the mag stripe.

 

[Wallsendmag]

How new are your gates at Newcastle in comparison though? I'd very much expect recent gates to be built to handle complex situation, but I seem I recall it being said on here a lot of the older traditional gates which are at most places are very limited

Installed in 2009

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I have found that the mainline ticket gates at Liverpool Street quite efficiently render a paper Travelcard useless for all later entries and exits. That's possibly why a previous contributor found that Norwich gates consistently refused them exit.

There's one particular gate at Liverpool Street which seems to demagnetise tickets; I can't remember which number it is but it's one of the standard ones close to platforms 9 / 10 so if you stick to the wide gates there you should be OK.

 

[AlbertBeale]

Send a complain to TfL for the lack of gateline staff that would trap passengers. But don't mention about the force through the barrier.

When they introduced barriers at London Underground stations, they told the media it would save money by doing away with staff in that part of the station at small stations - but they were told that it was too dangerous to risk passengers being trapped if gates didn't open and couldn't use the barriers to cut staffing that much. Nevertheless, at some stations in the early days there were often no staff within sight or sound of the barriers - if that happened I would always find the control panel with a big red button and press it to open all the gates (partly to reinforce the importance of having staff [they would usually then come running from wherever they were on the station...], and sometimes on account of someone [not usually me!] being actually trapped and in a panic).

I also reported to the London Fire Brigade the frequency that that happened at one particular station - they told me I was right to make a fuss and assured me they'd give the relevant people in TfL management a b******ing.

Most services from platform 20-24 are local journeys within zones 1-6. With people further afield taking faster services from other platforms . It is highly likely the predominant form of ticket is either oyster, contactless or freedom pass

Don't the Reading trains and Windsor trains go from those high-number platforms though?

 

[TAS]

I'd been considering posting a thread along similar lines. Post-Covid my commuting is done using railcard discounted tickets and it does feel like the barriers at Liverpool Street are increasingly often rejecting these in the morning. I wouldn't mind so much as I can understand the financial pressures the railway is under at the moment, but all too often the gate staff don't even ask to see the railcard (probably because they're trying not to make the scrum at the barriers any worse than it already is) so it all feels a bit pointless. On one recent morning I was directed to show it to a plain clothes inspector instead, but had to wait for ages while he dealt with someone without a valid ticket and ended up being slightly late for work as a result. Not the end of the world, but annoying nonetheless.