Why are my tickets rejected at the barriers?

[transmanche]

Yes, and don't you love the "ticket not valid at this location" messages you get on East Midlands and East Coast barriers.

Particularly when you're at Newcastle, trying to access the platforms using a Newcastle-London ticket... :roll:

 

[bb21]

You were brave! We wouldn't dare put our £1040 ALRs through ticket gates last summer, for fear of malfunction

I, too, would not recommend putting an All Line Rover (forum member or ticket ) into the barrier. You are asking for trouble if it goes wrong.

 

[SickyNicky]

There are still plenty of barrier staff who will insist that you take it out of the wallet and try it anyway, even though you tell them that you have visited x hundred stations in the past week and it didn't work at any of them.

 

[PavlosA]

On this topic, I have problems with Stratford (London) (SRA). I had a Gravesend to London + HS annual a few years back, which never let me through at SRA in either direction. I just assumed this was down to the barriers (apparently) being controlled by LU.

I moved to coach travel, then back to rail in November 13. I was surprised to find this ticket (issued by Abellio Corp Travel) let me through at SRA, so I assumed the increase in people using this route had made them reprogram the barriers.

My ticket then failed (first time ever!) and had to be replaced. Had this printed at Cannon St, and the new ticket no longer works at SRA! Any idea if there's a way of asking staff to print it so it'll allow me through at SRA?

Thanks
Pav

 

[sarahj]

It is anoying as staff when you sell someone a ticket on the train, then you see the same passenger go to the barrier and it rejects the ticket you have just sold.

 

[Eng274]

I was surprised one day when travelling from Derby, my ticket was accepted at the barriers no problem, but the eagle-eyed conductor on board noticed it was dated the day before. I was sold a same day return instead of a next-day return. Much to my embarrassment, I bought a new ticket, but I'm still mystified at how the barrier didn't pick up that it was out of date.

 

[PermitToTravel]

Quite a few barriers across the network are programmed to pass anything, regardless of origin, destination, route, discount, or even expiry date! This includes the manual barrier at Birmingham New Street!

 

[Merseysider]

On a related note, Liverpool Lime Street lower level barriers have recently started rejecting my through tickets and flashing "ITSO ONLY" when exiting the loop line for the main station. But the return portion works fine going into the lower level. Very weird

 

[jon0844]

If I buy a Gold Card discounted ticket from Hatfield to Welwyn Garden City it is rejected at WGC and gives the error code 105.

Searching on here suggests that's 'invalid ticket type'.

I always get let out okay of course.

 

[andythebrave]

Any tickets from Marston Vale stations to Bedford bought on the train won't work the barriers at Bedford and haven't for at least 4 years. It's annoying really, especially when there's a queue on either side of the single manual gate and a row of barriers that aren't being used.