Truro Station refurbishment and installation of ticket barriers (merged topics)

[whole diary]

[old original]

Just for info....
There's a notice gone up saying that the ticket office is going to be shut from this Tuesday (the 3rd) 'till the following Monday for a refurbishment.
Temporary offices will be along platform 2, probably as it was when they were flooded.

[Nemesis]

I overheard a guard tell a driver that Gateline Barriers are shortly to be installed at Truro.  Apparently, these will discourage scrotes, (whatever they are). As penalty fares are now in operation up to Truro, (in a down direction), it seems that fare dodging may become less prevalent in this part of Cornwall.

[vacman]

DFT^▸ (Department for Transport) have specified that the barriers must be operational by 01/01/11.

[caliwag]

Interesting. I use Truro for the Maritime line and regularly see people walking off the platforms onto the level crossing and arriving (with luggage) and leaving via the car park, to the back of the East-bound platform. Will all this lot be fenced off or will they just add restrictive signage?

[old original]

The only access to/from the platforms will be either through the ticket hall on the westbound side or through a gate/barrier located somewhere on the back of the eastbound platform from the car park. The ramps at the east end of both platforms and the entire length of the old platform 4 will be fenced off and the buffet will have the roadside door locked out of use.

For the able bodied the footbridges will still be there (rumour that one will eventually replaced with lifts fitted)

I believe work starts in September

[RailCornwall]

I've expressed my views on this in another thread some time ago. Bad move which will alienate many people. Platform three should be separately gated.

[Andy]

As an industry outsider, I'm not sure who pays for these barriers/fences/gates and so on. Can someone shed some light please?

[moonrakerz]

I came to the conclusion long ago that  barriers are a waste of time, effort and money. All they do is annoy honest passengers and have NO deterrent effect on fare dodgers.

Yesterday I went through a barrier line 6 times, (four at Bath Spa, two at Swindon) between 1500 and 2030 - EVERYTIME they were unmanned and locked open !

Absolutely pointless !

[Brucey]

The problem I always think about reliance on barriers is that they make people have a ticket but not necessarily a valid ticket.  A fare evader could buy the cheapest singles for their start and finish stations just to get through the barriers.

I believe there should be effective and visible on-train ticket checks, as this is the only way of making sure someone has a valid ticket.

[Chris from Nailsea]

My return home from BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) to NLS this afternoon included a full ticket check - with the Guard accompanied by a BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) constable (rather than a PCSO). Result: not the slightest squeak of dissent, from any passenger! 

[devon_metro]

Bet that gave the residents of Worle a shock!!!! 

[old original]

As an industry outsider, I'm not sure who pays for these barriers/fences/gates and so on. Can someone shed some light please?

I came to the conclusion long ago that  barriers are a waste of time, effort and money. All they do is annoy honest passengers and have NO deterrent effect on fare dodgers.

Yesterday I went through a barrier line 6 times, (four at Bath Spa, two at Swindon) between 1500 and 2030 - EVERYTIME they were unmanned and locked open !

Absolutely pointless !

I don't who's paying but I dare say it won't be cheap...and all a waste if there's no money left to staff it properly. As Moonrakerz says "pointless"

[vacman]

Whoever says barriers are ineffective is talking crap! when barriers are installed at stations then it is the surrounding stations that start selling more tickets, as for Truro, it wont matter if people are buying tickets to the next stop as thats where most of them are going anyway, there are to be two barriers on the up platform from the car park and the main gateline will be in the booking hall, there are massive problems with ticketless travel in and out of Truro and maybe if some of the Falmouth and Redruth people actually bothered to buy their tickets before boarding then the barriers wouldnt be needed, they know that the guard can't get through the train, personally I cannot wait to see them go in and think it is long overdue! and I think most of the season ticket holders will agree as they are fed up with all the one off travellers going for free whilst they pay through the nose!

[John R]

Very true. How many people would chance it and not buy tickets at Nailsea if there weren't any barriers at Temple Meads and Bath Spa in the hope of not paying. I would guess loads would.

Though it would help if they are manned more frequently, especially in the evenings. 

[devon_metro]

Ticket barriers will only ever be effective if we have a London Underground system where the whole network is closed off from ticketless travel.

The fact that I could very easily keep a low profile on an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) tomorrow and get a free ride to Paddington due to the fact that entrance to most of the mainline platforms at paddington can be exited without a ticket  is beyond belief!