Taller ticket barriers to tackle fare dodgers
PA MediaTaller ticket barriers will be installed at railway stations across England as the government tries to crack down on fare dodging.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has invested £33.4m in the scheme in a bid to prevent non-paying passengers from jumping over gates and boarding trains.
Industry body the Rail Delivery Group estimated at least £350m to £400m of annual fares revenue was lost to fraud and ticketless travel every year.
The DfT said the new barriers would be deployed at what it described as "fare dodger hotspots".
Rail operators and stations getting funding for new barriers include:
- Avanti West Coast - Liverpool Lime Street and Stafford
- East Midlands Railway - Market Harborough
- Greater Anglia - Hertford East, Manningtree, Rayleigh, Ware and Witham
- Thameslink Southern Great Northern - Elephant and Castle, Gipsy Hill, Royston, Stevenage and Worthing
- TransPennine Express - Manchester Piccadilly
- West Midlands Railway - Nuneaton, Tamworth, Worcester Foregate Street and Worcester Shrub Hill
Rail minister Lord Peter Hendy said: "Fare evasion is not a victimless crime - it undermines confidence in the railway and means passengers lose out on millions in revenue which should be invested to improve services for everyone.
"By stopping fare dodgers before they reach the platform, we're protecting taxpayer cash, supporting investment in the network and ensuring the railway works better for the millions of passengers who do the right thing every day by paying their way."
The rollout of the taller gates is expected to begin in the first half of next year and be finished by mid-2028.
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