Extra ticket checks at Preston

[greaterwest]

An interesting slander.

No I resent barriers because they offer no benefit to the honest passenger / they can at best offer a small delay, and at worst cause a passenger to miss the train. I'm not the only one that suffered from them either (bnm at Paddington for example)

Except that they deter many fare evaders, and the "I'll buy it on the train!" crowd where their destination station is ungated and 10 minutes down the line on a stopping service where the guard won't have time to sell them.

 

[OneOffDave]

Yes there is. Barriers stay open a very long time[1] if not entered, they then close when a beam on the far side is broken. It is entirely feasible to do the following if the station is not busy:

1. Put coffee on barrier
2. Retrieve ticket from wallet
3. Insert ticket into barrier and retrieve, barrier opens
4. Return ticket to wallet and wallet to pocket
5. Pick up coffee
6. Proceed through barrier

But as I travel in the rush hour trying to take that time is effectively impossible. For a wheelchair user the sequence goes

1. stop moving towards the barrier
2. get ticket out of wallet
3. put wallet back in pocket
4. hold ticket in mouth
5. wheel towards barrier
6. stop adjacent to barrier
7. put ticket in barrier and retrieve
8. put ticket back in mouth
9. wheel through barrier
10. stop
11. put ticket back in wallet
12. go about your day



The suggestions about large barrier lines at Euston would be pretty unfeasible as I frequently see two trains arriving at 17 & 18 at the same time as passengers are making for trains at 17 & 16. There's also a busy Manchester(?) service on 14 or 15 at that time too. That barrier line would get a little chaotic.

 

[greaterwest]

Many wheelchair users tend to prefer to show the barrier attendant their ticket at the wide gate (and a pro-active member of staff would offer to allow them through anyway!)