Kings Cross Ticket Barriers

[johntea]

Is there a shortage of gate line staff at Kings Cross station?

The ticket barriers always seem to be wide open, although I generally only visit at weekends so maybe during the week they're more staffed.

Just seems odd since as well as revenue protection one would assume they also stop people using that particular entrance to get to their departure rather than arrivals only.

 

[Urban Gateline]

The East Coast ones are hit and miss, I've been through there mainly in the morning peak and around midday or early afternoon in the last week or two a few times and more than 50% of the time the barriers were all left open, whilst the FCC counterpart is manned 100% of the time unless it is late evening or early morning!

I agree with my mate who remarked that East Coast probably care more about onboard checks on their long distance services so they don't need to rely on the Barriers as much as FCC would do!

 

[causton]

I actually can't remember the last time I've seen them fully in operation. Last time they were, there were no staff and the wide gate was just left open (which is a bit of a no-no), so perhaps they do have a lack of staff! Considering I've been through the station a bit in the last week...

...I would have to agree that they simply don't care if FCC lose revenue and hope their guards are picking up all the invalid/non-existent tickets on board their trains!

 

[YorkshireRider]

The EC gateline staff all have their breaks at the same time, i'm not sure the reason for this but I guess there is some logic behind it. Also for anyone who is arriving on the EC platforms, i've been told you can now call the lifts from the platform level if you are wanting to leave the station via the upper concourse.

 

[causton]

I guess it makes sense them having their breaks at the same time as presumably one person cannot man two sets of barriers, so one will be left open - so it does not matter if the others are still in operation as people will just walk through the one that is unmanned!

But I must have been very unlucky to be there every time they were on break, including 8am on a weekday, 8pm on another weekday and midday on Sunday!

 

[transmanche]

Also for anyone who is arriving on the EC platforms, i've been told you can now call the lifts from the platform level if you are wanting to leave the station via the upper concourse.

Interesting, I didn't think that the lifts had call buttons at platform level. I guess there must have been lots of complaints/requests from passengers (possibly those who found themselves on the wrong platform?) in order to make a change.

 

[Searle]

The EC gateline staff all have their breaks at the same time, i'm not sure the reason for this but I guess there is some logic behind it. Also for anyone who is arriving on the EC platforms, i've been told you can now call the lifts from the platform level if you are wanting to leave the station via the upper concourse.

I'm glad to hear this if it's true, it saves a hell of a lot of time on going from platforms 1-8 to the First Class Lounge, as I've had to do the long way round with heavy bags before >_<

 

[jon0844]

It seems quite bizarre that the last time I went to King's Cross (around 11am) to go home, the gates that go out to the front (where the new square is being constructed) were open, but the gates into the concourse were shut. The FCC gates were also in operation.

Now, as I am sure a lot of people are aware, you used to be able to walk down to the end of platform 8 and turn around to platform 9 to get into the 'FCC platforms'.

Now it is even quicker as the old route through, by the FCC offices, is now permanently open.

Thus, you only need a single open gate to let someone in or out of ANY platform!

 

[causton]

Thus, you only need a single open gate to let someone in or out of ANY platform!

Yep! I left my ticket wallet on a train and went to see the FCC supervisor in that little corridor. He said he hasn't found it and he didn't know what else he could do. So I left and looked up when the train was going to come back.
...
I came back into the station just before the train was due to arrive and one of them didn't want to let me back in to see if the ticket wallet was still on the train, so I went via platform 8 and past the offices and found it lying down the side of a seat. Very lucky as the train had gone to Cambridge and back!

Came back to the gateline and the guy asked how I got in, I said the East Coast barriers were open. He didn't sound happy but another person smiled as they let me out :P

 

[stut]

Interesting, I didn't think that the lifts had call buttons at platform level. I guess there must have been lots of complaints/requests from passengers (possibly those who found themselves on the wrong platform?) in order to make a change.

Yup, that's new in the last few weeks. Very welcome, too, for getting to/from the cycle racks!

 

[transmanche]

Yup, that's new in the last few weeks. Very welcome, too, for getting to/from the cycle racks!

That's excellent news (having fallen victim to a late platform change and unable to call the lift down to the platform). A thumbs-up for Network Rail!

 

[pethadine82]

Ticket checks are very thorough on East Coast.
I have noticed that sometimes the train manager and one of the hosts are co-checking tickets together. This is a much more efficient way, however the host normally uses a biro where the train manager will use a stamp.

I guess that's why East Coast don't feel the need to man the barriers.
Also barriers are recent, GNER, and NXEC never had any issues as they were pre barrier.

 

[transmanche]

Ticket checks are very thorough on East Coast.

I think the best that can be said is that they are 'variable'.

Following a discussion on here, last year I kept a note of whether or not my ticket was checked on East Coast. On 13 journeys over three months (ten of which were between King's Cross and Newcastle or vv), my ticket was only checked three times. On 7 or 8 of those journeys, the barriers were open at both Newcastle and King's Cross.

 

[sheff1]

I am struggling to remember when I last saw the barriers in use at Kings Cross.

 

[yorkie]

Following a discussion on here, last year I kept a note of whether or not my ticket was checked on East Coast. On 13 journeys over three months (ten of which were between King's Cross and Newcastle or vv), my ticket was only checked three times. On 7 or 8 of those journeys, the barriers were open at both Newcastle and King's Cross.

If one or two of the infamous 'desperate' Newcastle-based EC guards are checking, then if you're at the other end of the train, there's no way your ticket will be checked - as they'll find more problems than they can deal with in the time A certain very infamous one was observed issuing a UFN as we passed Finsbury Park on one occasion, and unless he'd walked back, he hadn't got to 1st class yet.

 

[Mainliner]

I'm not complaining, as it saves me walking the long way round

 

[Paul Kelly]

Wolmar has mentioned the frequently open King's Cross barriers a few times in his column in RAIL magazine. He too makes the point that as East Coast generally check tickets on-board they don't have so much need for them, so why should they be incurring staffing costs to protect FCC's revenue?

And his conspiracy theory is that since installation of barriers is usually required by the DfT and TOC's don't have much of a say in it anyway, is that the government like them because when people are funnelled through the barriers, it helps to line them up for automatic face recognition through security cameras!

 

[Hartington]

I was under the impression that it was something to do with open access, at least at one time. When GC first started they made a big thing of being able to buy on board without penalty so the gates had to be left open when one of their trains was due to depart so that unticketd passengers could acces their train.

 

[yorkie]

I was under the impression that it was something to do with open access, at least at one time. When GC first started they made a big thing of being able to buy on board without penalty so the gates had to be left open when one of their trains was due to depart so that unticketd passengers could acces their train.

The gates don't have to be left open as such, but anyone indicating a wish to purchase on board, has to be let through. (I guess they could be refused if there was a long time before the next HT/GC service was due!)

Also I've had no problems being let through to store/collect my bike at the bike racks either.

 

[stut]

Also I've had no problems being let through to store/collect my bike at the bike racks either.

Yes, I have to agree - even the 9-11 gateline has become much friendlier. When you used to get the third degree about taking a bike to the racks there in the evening peak, in case you were trying to sneak it on a train, you now get a friendly "locking it up?" instead.

I just wish they'd make their minds up as to which barriers are going to be set "against the flow" on each gateline. It seems to change day to day!

 

[londonbridge]

I was under the impression that it was something to do with open access, at least at one time. When GC first started they made a big thing of being able to buy on board without penalty so the gates had to be left open when one of their trains was due to depart so that unticketd passengers could acces their train.

As some members may know I'm a member of the Sunderland Supporters Association London branch, on occasion on a Saturday morning when the gateline is closed members simply tell the gateline staff "I'm on the Sunderland supporters group ticket" and they open the gates so you can pass through and board the train.

 

[island]

The gates don't have to be left open as such, but anyone indicating a wish to purchase on board, has to be let through. (I guess they could be refused if there was a long time before the next HT/GC service was due!)

Also I've had no problems being let through to store/collect my bike at the bike racks either.

I just use my Oyster card (which has a 1-3 Travelcard)

 

[stevefreestone]

I am struggling to remember when I last saw the barriers in use at Kings Cross.

The EC barriers in my experience when they are working are bloody dangerous, particularly at peak.

 

[Deerfold]

I think the best that can be said is that they are 'variable'.

Following a discussion on here, last year I kept a note of whether or not my ticket was checked on East Coast. On 13 journeys over three months (ten of which were between King's Cross and Newcastle or vv), my ticket was only checked three times. On 7 or 8 of those journeys, the barriers were open at both Newcastle and King's Cross.

I travel between Keighley and London every week, usually once, sometimes more times.

I'd say I get my ticket checked between London and Leeds about two thirds of the time. I also get it checked about the same proportion between Keighley and Leeds (more likely not to be checked going out of Leeds late evening).

Travelling in the peak both ways at the London end, I find the gates open about 25% of the time.

 

[stut]

What I really don't get is when (like last night), they have a mix of open and closed barriers on adjacent gatelines, in full view of each other (the main EC arrivals/departures concourses). It's the worst of both worlds - ticket holders are inconvenienced and the fare evaders just waltz out.

 

[sheff1]

.. ticket holders are inconvenienced and the fare evaders just waltz out.

Is that not the whole point of ticket barriers