Desperate times: Man inserts ticket

This from Herr Bend o'Ver...

Is this the most desperate press release of the week?

According to FGW...

Newbury MP Richard Benyon will officially open Newbury Station’s ticket gates this Friday following £850,000 investment to improve the station environment...

The MP will tour the station, accompanied by First Great Western Managing Director Mark Hopwood, before opening the new gateline. 

'Benyon inserts valid ticket' - Hold the Front Page!

UPDATE: This from the Major...

I'm pleased to see that Richard Benyon is to officially open the ticket barriers at Newbury. 

If he could leave them open that would be most useful for all those passengers carrying bags, clutching cups of coffee, pushing prams, nursing arms in slings and everyone else for whom barriers are just that.

Theresa May keen to make rail travel more unpleasant!

This from Public Sector Executive...

The Home Office is to consider introducing mass security screening at mainline rail stations and the Tube to scan for terrorist threats, as it launches a research brief for new technology.

The search would focus on emerging technology capable of rapidly screening huge numbers of passengers to detect explosives, guns and knives as well as chemical and biological materials.

The high volumes of passengers on the railway mean that traditional forms of screening are not possible.

Suitable screening points could be at ticket barriers, the top and bottom of escalators and platforms and the equipment could be either fixed into the station or portable for more flexible use.

Good to see that State continues to consider us all to be a threat.

No doubt this, alongside police with shooters at stations, will do much to improve the 'ambiance' and pleasure of rail travel.

No matter.

At least this will help justify the further encroachment of congestion causing 'ticket gates' across the network.

Eye wonders how on earth we managed to survive the 70s and 80s when the IRA was actually active on the UK mainland?

UPDATE: This from a Mr Malins...

No doubt this is why First won the West Coast - an "enhancement" promised by Mr O'Toole (see items below):

Fares and ticketing  Installation of automatic ticket gates at 21 stations, including the major terminals of London Euston, Manchester Piccadilly, Liverpool Lime St and Glasgow Central.

Latest transport ePetitions

This from a Mr Malins...

It's good of Eye to give us a vote on the next Chairman of Network Rail, but did you know the Government allows us a vote on DfT policy, which they will then of course ignore?

I have picked out 10 from the DfT section of the Government e-petitions website for Eye readers to consider.

• Stop HS2
  
  
• Thameslink Rolling Stock Decision Protest
  
  
• Renationalise the Railways
  
  
• Reinstate the 1% Cap on Rail fares
  
  
• Support HS2
  
  
• Reopen closed railway lines and stations
  
  
• Strip First Capital Connect of its Franchise
  
  
• Remove Ticket Barriers at Stations
  
  
• Make the Railways really competitive
  
  
• Move all freight onto the Railways

My particular favourite, for which I wish to enlist support, is that devoted to the Battle of the Barriers.

It isn't mine so don't quibble about the wording.

Just sign it and DfT might take some notice, which so far they have declined to do.

The King's Cross barrier shambles is evidence of their culpability.

ACoRP - his master's voice?

Oh dear.

It would appear that DafT's running dogs have been instructed to savage all those expressing views at variance with the wisdom that emanates from Marsham Street.

Amidst the news of scarecrows, flower gardens and coffee mornings this rather caustic comment appears in the October edition of ACoRP's Train on Line:

In the same issue [of New Transit] Richard Malins opines from his planet, wherever it is, that the benefits of gating are mythical...

The piece continues...

There’s a particularly interesting article by Adrian Wheatley [in Railway Strategies] on what stations should offer (including ‘live’ rather than recorded announcements and restricting access to non-travellers – are you reading this Mr Malins?)

Perhaps a little strong?

No matter.

Good to know that ACoRP has added revenue protection modelling to its current skillset of weeding, dusting and hanging bunting.

UPDATE: This from a Mr Malins of that Ilk!

Perhaps you could illustrate the news in your organ that I am being savaged by the DfT's running dogs with this picture, which was used to demonstrate the alleged benefits of ticket barriers in said letter to "Transit", and comes to us courtesy of Passenger Focus.


That letter went on to point out that these benefits are to be brought to East Coast passengers at King's Cross, a scheme piloted by Rail Barbie (self confessed no less) and, she tells me, to be installed on Platforms 0 - 5 by February 2011.

Sadly I am not a subscriber to ACoRP so I don't know what I am actually accused of in Train on Line, but I don't imagine, even in DfT's wildest dreams, that many stations they sponsor will get gated.

Battle of the Barriers turns nasty in Sheffield

This from the Sheffield Star...

THE long-running battle over Sheffield station bridge came to a head when managers were forced to call in police to help them deal with residents who insisted on their "right" to use the station as a route into the city centre.

Staff and British Transport Police officers handed out 45 cautions in a single night as the row reached boiling point.

45 cautions - these are local residents trying to move about their city not football hooligans!

As the demand to gate the station is coming from the DfT let us hope that the rumoured 600 job cuts at the Department will include the genius behind this particular scheme.

Meanwhile Eye will watch with interest whether Deputy PM Cleggy, a local MP, can bring some sanity to bear on this matter.

Although there is little point in holding your breath.

After all, denying access by socially disadvantaged residents of Norfolk Park and Park Hill to the bright lights of Sheffield city centre is probably perfectly aligned with ConDem social policy.

A word on today's ticket machine story.

This from a Mr Malins...

Did I not hear the Passenger Focus man Smith berating the TOCs for their failings on Radio 4 this morning?

Consider then that the response of Bus Barons and DafT to this failing is to install ticket barriers to "recover" the money for the tickets the TOCs did not sell properly in the first place!


With stockade station - HMP Walton-on-Thames the result.

UPDATE: This from Globetrotter...

I wonder whether the latest Passenger Focus survey is investigating the symptoms rather than the cause?

Does the dissatisfaction expressed by ticket machine users really reflect concerns over the problem of using the machines themselves, or is it really a reflection of the complexity of the current fare structures?

Given that a substantial number of booking office staff seem to have problems explaining and selling all the different ticket options, it is not surprising that passengers have problems navigating the system when left to do it themselves.

Particularly now that ATOC has helpfully 'simplified' the process by giving all the different ticket types the same names.

Stockade station - HMP Walton

This from a Mr Mallins...

Welcome to Walton.

The closing of the station to facilitate ticket barriers, on both sides in this case, is an horrendous sight.



Looks just like a prison.

UPDATE: This from King Henry...

What I don't understand about horrors like the barricades at Walton is that the project must have involved dozens of people and a budget decision.

And yet not one single manager had the sense to say, "stop, this is utterly incompatible with our efforts to welcome passengers".

Train Lord's dark plans for Sheffield

Be careful what you wish for.

Regular readers will recollect that The Thin Controller surrendered Sheffield in the Battle of the Barriers.

Alas.

Evidently the Train Lord now plans to get his own back!

This from the Sheffield Star...

Rush hour commuters will be meeting Doctor Who's arch-nemeses tomorrow morning when the terrifying Daleks appear at Sheffield railway station.


As Davros might say "Do not anger me, Passenger. I can destroy you... and this miserable, insignificant station!"

Battle of the barriers - Sheffield falls!

This from passenger and pedestrian champion Richard Malins...

Lord Adonis was in Sheffield yesterday.

The Sheffield Central constituency, which includes the station, is a Lib Dem/Labour marginal and the former Labour MP Richard Caborn is standing down.

It is being contested by Paul Scriven, leader of the City Council, for the Lib Dems, and the ticket barrier scheme is a political embarrassment to the Labour candidate as it has become a serious local issue.

Adonis announced that it will not proceed, pending the creation of an alternative pedestrian footbridge route, and EMT has announced that they have been relieved of the franchise obligation.

No shit Sherlock!

Could this volte-face by the Noble Lord be in anyway connected with events on the 6th May?

UPDATE: This from 28481k, via Twitter...

Hurray, so Park Hills regeneration project is saved (for access, for now)!

UPDATE: The Fact Compiler observes...

Apparently no deal has yet been signed with EMT on this.

So campaigners would be advised not to take their foot off DafT's throat yet...

Battle of the Barriers - Sheffield rejects gates

So the people of Sheffield have spoken!

Yesterday the City Council unanimously rejected East Midlands Trains' bid to gate Sheffield station.

There were strong words at yesterday's planning and highways area board and after the meeting local councillors were keen to air their views to both the BBC and the Yorkshire Post.

Kerpow! - Council leader Paul Scriven said: "People are justifiably outraged at the idea that our footbridge, paid for with £15m of taxpayers' money, could be shut off by a private company for the purposes of profit."

Blam! - Cllr Brian Holmes said he was "disgusted" by the application.

Splat! - Cllr Alan Law slammed EMT's "pretty appalling consultation process".

Zap! - Cllr Tim Rippon said: "I think it beggars belief that an organisation like Stagecoach, which is delivering a public service, continues to pursue this application in the face of such opposition. I can only hope that Stagecoach go away and stick to running trains, and that this subject does not come before this area board again."

Oh dear.

However, every cloud has a silver lining.

Regular Eye readers will recollect that only last week Lord Adonis instructed nationalised East Coast Main Line not to pursue gating plans for York station so that through access for non-passengers could be maintained.

As the principle of through access has now been established presumably the Noble Lord will will take the same view on the situation at Sheffield and relieve EMT of its gating obligations.

If there is to be a level playing field between state-owned and private sector operators he can do no less.

UPDATE: This from the Major...

While York has indeed created the principle of through access, I sense the Noble Lord remains unwilling to violate his other principle (perhaps even his prime directive) and that is not to renegotiate franchises.

I wait with baited breath to see how Tim Shoveller can dig himself out from this hole.

Battle of the Barriers - update

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away!

This from the Daily Telegraph on the Nobel Lord's plans for state owned East Coast Main Line...

...Withdrawal of the planned gating of York station in order to maintain the existing through access for non-passengers, while accelerating the completion of gating at King's Cross to deter fare-dodgers.

A sort of glass half full moment.

UPDATE: This from Paul Scott...

Er... are you expecting the SofS to win some sort of international prize for all this - 'Nobel' Lord?

The Fact Compiler apologises. A case of posting in haste and repenting at leisure.

UPDATE: This from King Henry...

Does the noble Lord realise that by citing the pedestrian route across York Station as his reason for abandoning gating he has destroyed EMT's case at Sheffield ?

UPDATE: This from a Mr Mallins...

The Good Lord has indeed shafted EMT over Sheffield, where with over 1100 objections to their application for Listed Building Consent, the City must be poised to refuse it.

By citing through access as the reason (not something that planners can consider for Listed Building applications) it must now be accepted that barriers are not a good idea elsewhere too.

Perhaps EMT should be removing their nonsensical scheme at Derby which is an unnecessary obstacle to access across the station, in similar circumstances to York and Sheffield. The place is often full of students trying to get to and from the college on the old Loco Works site.

And as for King's Cross, they will be an ugly and dysfunctional feature of a "World Class" station, maximum inconvenience to boarding passengers and chaos when they alight - take a look at EMT's St Pancras scheme next door.

DafT shows commitment to local democracy

This update on the Battle of the Barriers from the BBC...

A rail company is appealing against a decision not to allow ticket barriers at York railway station.

The appeal is apparently to be heard in the New Year, by which time NXEC should have shuffled off its mortal coil.

So there is precious little benefit to be gained by the franchise, NatEx or indeed its hard pressed shareholders in mounting this appeal.

So who is yanking NXEC's chain?

Step forward Lord Adonis, DafT and DOR.

Eye salutes this unholy triumverate for learning from Ireland's experience with the Euro constitution.

Just keep asking the same question until they come up with the right answer.

Sir Peter Hall claims barriers "insane"

This just in from a Mr Malins...

I know the Eye has had a lot of fun with the Railway Garden Competition, and I trust we shall see more of the weedkilling train as a result, but are you ready to return to the theme of barriers? It deserves Eye's renewed attention.

I have a letter, signed by his Lordship DafT Vader concerning the work of his stationers Green and Hall:

"The stations standards initiative that I have set up will be focusing on getting the basic facilities right as well as considering the broader role of stations. It will not be looking at ticket gates."

The duo have been to Sheffield whereupon Sir Peter described the Stagecoach barrier scheme as "insane" and said he would have a word with Adonis.

So it's back to you Secretary of State.

Setback for Adonis, DafT and NXEC

This just in from our man on the frontline at the Battle of the Barriers...

Listed Building Consent application rejected by the City of York at Committee today, despite officer recommendation for approval.

A breakthrough!

Perhaps the other NXEC gating schemes could now also be quietly buried, along with the franchise?

UPDATE: This from the BBC.

Calls to gate Glasgow Central

Telegrammed by Leo Pink
So Network Rail are keen to discourage feral youth from loitering at Glasgow Central station?

The obvious solution is to gate station entrances so that only ticket holders can enter!

Those wishing to buy a ticket at the station, and how 20th Century is that! - would buy a 'Permission to Enter Facilities' pass for £2 which would be refundable against tickets bought in the station.

For family groups meeting relatives there would be a group pass for two adults and up to three children costing £5.

Although such a proposal might not find favour with retail outlets and indeed Eye's editor...

(Indeed it wouldn't, although The Fact Compiler has no problem with re-introducing what we used to call platform tickets. Ed)

Lord Adonis - prove Gordon right

After a febrile couple of weeks Gordon Brown now assures us that his administration is listening to the people.

Denied the General Election that the country so obviously needs the Eye is prepared, just this once, to give him the benefit of the doubt.

So to My Lord Adonis, Secretary of State for Transport, falls the honour of proving that the Government is indeed listening.

According to the Yorkshire Post yesterday:

"NINETY-FOUR per cent of people taking part in a Sheffield Council poll say they are opposed to the introduction of ticket barriers at Sheffield railway station, which would prevent people using the railway bridge to access the city centre.

To date 4,000 people have voted on the Sheffield City Council website.

So Andrew - are you listening?

Barriers in conflict with disabled access code

Two disability lobby groups have now joined the Battle of the Barriers.

This from York's The Press...

Two organisations, the York Access Group and The Children’s Society, have objected to plans by National Express East Coast to install automated ticket barriers across the station concourse.

David Brown, of York Access Group, said... barriers would conflict with the draft code of practice for train and station standards for disabled people, currently being considered by the Department for Transport.

National Express claims it is 'making travel simpler' - but not, it would appear, if you are mobility impaired.

Germany calling #2

Telegrammed by Lord Tee Hee
Having spent the past two days whizzing around the Karlsruhe tram/train network I can only wonder at the honesty of the Germans.

I haven't had my pass checked once in over 20 trips.

So, either the country is so scrupulously law-abiding that no one fare evades, or KVV see it as such a small problem that it's not worth employing anyone for revenue protection.

I wonder how this will translate to our own tram/train experiment?

Stuff Weary Travellers; count the money.

Telegrammed by The Master
One of the beauties of rail over air travel is that you don't have to turn up two hours ahead and queue for check-in.

Alas the modern railway is doing its best to bugger up this benefit.

Despite arriving 28 minutes early at Waterloo today all my time was spent queuing at the self-service machines to try and buy a ticket.


Fifteen machines are provided, but despite this chaos descends as soon as anyone unfamiliar with them joins the queue.

Each transaction takes an age - and it's not as if you can just walk on to the train and buy your ticket.

Of course Waterloo is now gated and SWT take great pleasure in administering a penalty fare to any passenger foolish enough to attempt buying a ticket on the train.

So much for a pleasurable travelling experience.

I made my train with only a few minutes to spare and sans any refreshments.

Thanks SWT.

UPDATE 26/05/09: This just in from 'Mike'...

Victoria on 19th May...

Despite the two companies operating services there both being owned by Govia, there are separate machines, with only two on the South Eastern side. Only one of which was working.

Off to the South Central side only to see a notice taped onto all machines "Due to a download problem, Southeastern destinations are not available from this machine".

If it wasn't for the barriers, Southeastern are pretty good at selling tickets on Ramsgate/Dover trains.

How un-joined up is that?

Resounding success at Norwich

The Eye wishes to apologise for having opposed the gating of InterCity stations.

The Fact Compiler erroneously believed that barriers would:

• cause unnecessary delay to passengers with luggage
• discriminate against the mobility impaired
• prove dangerous to children and dogs
• destroy the age old tradition of seeing your loved ones aboard a train
• and remove the eyes and ears of the railway (gricers) from platforms.

Based on the experience of Norwich the Fact Compiler now knows this not to be true.


The blessed things have been taken OOU because they don't work.


No shit Sherlock.