Trivia: Platforms you cannot freely 'roam'

[Straus]

I think the lift on Fairfield Street is a known fare evading hotspot as from that lift you can access any of the platforms at Piccadilly Station without a ticket, the thing is while I think they do know about it I don't think that there's anything that they can actually do to stop any fare evasion in that location.

Surprised the far end of platform 1 doesn't have ticket checks as you can access all platforms without being checked.

Think I've seen inspectors there once in the many many times I've passed.

 

[Bletchleyite]

There are a few of these fare dodgers' lifts. Liverpool Lime St Low Level is another. It's odd that it was designed that way as Merseyrail has never (well, aside from a short period under MTL) been an open system.

 

[Kite159]

There are a few of these fare dodgers' lifts. Liverpool Lime St Low Level is another. It's odd that it was designed that way as Merseyrail has never (well, aside from a short period under MTL) been an open system.

For revenue protection that lift is like shooting fish in a barrel at capturing those who think payment is optional.

 

[Bletchleyite]

For revenue protection that lift is like shooting fish in a barrel at capturing those who think payment is optional.

I do find it amusing, though, how visibly disappointed the RPIs look there when you produce a valid ticket. I always use the lift there as it's quicker, but they seem to assume any able bodied person is doing it to fare dodge.

I don't quite see why they couldn't install a remote monitored gateline on it to be honest.

 

[tfw756rider]

Ygritte often have revenue at the Top and bottom of the lift

What do you mean?

Still don't know what you mean by this @Elecman?

 

[Jan Mayen]

The local Lidl here requires them for the self-service machine area.

The Lidl opposite Three Bridges Station (recently reopened after refurbishment) requires receipts to leave the self service area as well

 

[Elecman]

Still don't know what you mean by this @Elecman?

Was a type for Northern often have thier Revenue Protection bods at the Top or Bottom of the lift

 

[tfw756rider]

Was a type for Northern often have thier Revenue Protection bods at the Top or Bottom of the lift

Ah, a train operating company, not a character from Game of Thrones. Gotcha, thanks

 

[John Luxton]

As for shops requiring to see your receipt before letting you lave the premises, this could be seen as false imprisonment. And what if I don't have a receipt because I didn't buy anything, because the shop didn't have what I wanted?

Britain is certainly becoming a hostile and unpleasant place, even if on a low level.

At Costco you just tell the receipt checkers that you have not bought anything. Quite a lot of people just go to the cafe and thus don't buy anything but you pass the receipt checkers. I have been doing most of my weekly shop at Costco for just over 20 years now and have never thought the receipt checking was hostile and the people doing the checking as being a plesant and not authoritarian lot.

 

[CHAPS2034]

no checks at all on platform 12.

I have quite often experienced a ticket check on 12, especially on arrival, with a revenue team appearing just before arrival. Not so much on departure though.

I'm sure someone once said that certain trains are sent there from time to time to enable a full check of all the passengers to take place.

 

[DJ_K666]

A thought popped into my head recently, considering that there are some stations/platforms which you cannot freely 'roam'. In the majority of stations in this country, once, in many cases, you have got through the barriers, you are free to walk around the station freely and get onto all platforms, no-one will really question you wandering a station. The majority of rural stations you can just walk onto at any time, and no-one will stop you.

But: there are some stations which you are only allowed onto platforms if a train is ready for boarding, and you are catching that train. You cannot freely roam these stations, and if you did you would be asked to leave.

A couple of examples I can think of:
-London St Pancras EMR: you can only enter the platforms once a train is ready for boarding, and you can only get to that platform when it is. Access to these platforms is heavily restricted.
-Blackpool North: similarly, you are held until a train is boarding

And on the other end of the scale:
-Peartree (near Derby): access to this 'halt' is only allowed via locked gates which are opened for passengers who use the provided intercom, when a train will soon arrive.

So, what examples can you think of, of platforms like this?

P.S. this doesn't include platforms which are locked at night.

Blackpool North virtually patrol with the kind of dogs that eat people. I think they're called Hen Party Terriers

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Oct 2025 ==

I have quite often experienced a ticket check on 12, especially on arrival, with a revenue team appearing just before arrival. Not so much on departure though.

I'm sure someone once said that certain trains are sent there from time to time to enable a full check of all the passengers to take place.

Isn't there the remnants of a special 'ticket platform ' at Oban, where the train would stop and the guard could walk along the outside of a non gangwayed train and check tickets through the windows? Sounds a great job in the wind and rain