Stupid place for Gateline.

[weeklycommuter]

When I worked at the station I was told by a local manager that the original plan was to extend the glass panel/fencing down to the bottom end of platform 1, with the Gateline there. Any passengers going to/from the Wightlink terminal passing through the barriers could be monitored more closely at that point. But the cost became too prohibitive, so it was cut back to the current position, where the original ticket barriers were located.

SWR claimed in a letter that due to safety concerns with the passenger flows the current position is the only viable place to put ticket gates. I assumed they were concerned that the gap between the West end of the platforms and the West wall and Wightlink terminal entrance was not wide enough to safely accommodate large numbers of passengers using gates at the ends of the platforms. The ticket gates were instead installed on land shared by Wightlink and the railway and used to access the Wightlink terminal from the street, not on land exclusive to the railway, so under the Vesting Statement and Demarcation Agreement dated 7 December 1987 Wightlink customers have a legal right to pass through the ticket gates both ways at any time without a ticket. This makes the ticket gates totally useless for revenue protection. The Wightlink ticket office is in their fastcat terminal so Wightlink customers have to go through the rail ticket gates to get to the Wightlink terminal to buy a ticket but that is not a problem for Wightlink or Wightlink customers as Wightlink customers have a legal right to pass through the rail ticket gates without a ticket. The ticket gates were installed because someone decided to put them in the SWR franchise but they are completely useless for revenue protection, they should not have been installed and they should be removed.

SWR install barriers at Portsmouth Harbour despite Wightlink protests

I'm sure there is room at Fratton on both of the old bridge's entrances to install a pair of gates. On P2/3 you could bring barricades to the next set of pillars (which is where the useless validator posts are currently) and have the gates between them. Getting rid of that ticket cabin in the...

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What’s your least favourite station in Hampshire to visit?

Southampton Central is dire - poorly located in relation to the City Centre and the port and unimpressive in design. Indeed. It looks to have had a rather splendid station building with a clock tower, up until the mid 1960's when it was flattenned and replaced by the box. It would be a lot...

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== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jan 2023 ==

The only way they can get in is if we let them.

Under the Vesting Statement and Demarcation Agreement dated 7 December 1987 Wightlink customers have a legal right to pass through the ticket gates both ways at any time without a ticket. By law ticket gate staff have to allow Wightlink customers through the ticket gates without a ticket.

 

[Rick1984]

Problem is if you stick a gateline between the Ferry and the platforms you could cause people to miss right connections

 

[pompeyfan]

Problem is if you stick a gateline between the Ferry and the platforms you could cause people to miss right connections

I think I’m right in saying that as of the December 2022 timetable, the connections off the boat are now the pretty poor. You’ve now got the Cardiff at 23 past the hour, sometimes the Brighton at 28 past each hour, the fast London at 45, the Waterloo via Eastleigh at 59 and the stopper up the direct at 02. The ferry is usually along side and linkspan down at 10 past the hour. Not particularly efficient. I wonder if the times off the Hover and bus are any better?

 

[hermit]

I think I’m right in saying that as of the December 2022 timetable, the connections off the boat are now the pretty poor. You’ve now got the Cardiff at 23 past the hour, sometimes the Brighton at 28 past each hour, the fast London at 45, the Waterloo via Eastleigh at 59 and the stopper up the direct at 02. The ferry is usually along side and linkspan down at 10 past the hour. Not particularly efficient. I wonder if the times off the Hover and bus are any better?

Basically correct, although from 1515 there is a fast at 15 past the hour, providing the tight but usually reliable connection we used to have pre-covid. Those travelling from the island earlier in the day, which would include commuters and those going on day trips, tend to waste a lot of time at the station (probably to the benefit of the café‘s sales).

Connections towards the island are generally more efficient (except from Eastleigh), but when the fasts from Waterloo run a few minutes late, as they very often do, there is an undignified scramble to get to the catamaran before the gangway is lifted. With an hourly -sometimes two-hourly - cat service, missing it is not something you want to do. Having to go through a gate line would indeed make things worse.

As has been said, the present gate line is of little use for revenue protection. It is also very annoying for passengers heading for the cat from the street to have to pass through the line even though we are not using the railway. I have several times had to wait while the gate line staff were away or dealing with someone else. Fortunately this has not so far resulted in me missing a sailing. I’m surprised that Wightlink agreed to the arrangement, but I don’t know what the precise legal position is.

 

[weeklycommuter]

Could you give a bit more context about where the gateline is in relation to the platforms, main passenger entrance and ferry entrance please?

Approximate position of the gateline marked in black on the attached plan no.108106 referenced in the Vesting Statement and Demarcation Agreement dated 7 December 1987 when the ferry was privatised and made separate to the railway. Wightlink terminal in pink. Land exclusive to railway in green. Railway land with shared access by Wightlink brown hatched brown.

 

[zwk500]

Approximate position of the gateline marked in black on the attached plan no.108106 referenced in the Vesting Statement and Demarcation Agreement dated 7 December 1987 when the ferry was privatised and made separate to the railway. Wightlink terminal in pink. Land exclusive to railway in green. Railway land with shared access by Wightlink brown hatched brown.

The question was answered in post #5, thanks.