Great Western Coffee Shop

Has the late shift on Reading barriers on Friday and Saturday night been abolished?  I have been back late two Fridays and not found anyone manning the gates.  If you ask me, if barriers are fitted they should be on from first service to last not turned off mid way through the evening (Reading appears to be something like 0645 to 2100 on weekdays).

At a time when more and more revenue is needed by the railways and fares are going up, it is ridiculous to see the gates turned off and unmanned at any time.


Jonathan

Barriers at BTM are also set 'open' from mid-evening onwards (certainly on weekdays).

I assume the view is taken by FGW that most passengers travelling at that time of day will be using the 'return' portion of their ticket - and they'll be checked by the guard on board.

So all the P*ssheads that cause grief on late night trains also get a free ride as most (sensible) guards will not check tickets Friday /Sat evenings because of agro/ lack of TOC support if in confrontation ? 

Wasn't aware of this, Friday and Saturday barriers are usually in use at Reading until about 00:30 or so.
But it doesn't surprise me they opening earlier, staffing of gatelines at the moment seems extremely poor.

Further west, Cardiff Cent. barriers are certainly open on Sunday evenings and Swansea's seem to open for the whole of Sunday, although in fairness, I only travel down there as a passenger on the odd occasion.

Also Oxford, late evenings the barriers are often set to open and no staff to be seen until they emerge from the office minutes before a train is due.

And Plymouth are just open all the time!

Sorry Vacman, but Plymouth seem to have got their act together at last and the Gate line seems to be use more often than not (during the Day anyway).

It took FGW a long time to sort it out thou!

Only until about 1800ish, just before the drunk idiots arrive.

I've heard u speake some crap before smokey but to say Plymouth gateline have got their act together is hilarious! on saturdays, the busiest day of the week, as soon as they get more than about 20 people there they open up all the gates, or the fact that they all take their break in the middle of peak time! want me to go on??

Note to FGW and in fact to all other TOCs:

As the fare paying passenger has paid for these gates and has to put up with them at busy times, please can every effort be made to man them at times when those who don't pay their fare get a free ride know the gates won't be manned. You are missing out on revenue too.

From the sharp end, it would also lessen the incidence of drunks and social misfits, (many of whom do not consider a valid ticket  a desirable accessory),  who make life so 'interesting' for rail staff.

I agree, its quite funny to watch when a HST disgorges 200/300 people onto platform 4, and a look of panic appears on the faces of the gateline staff. 'Oh s***, what shall we do? I know, lets open the gates, and go get a cuppa.'

I agree with both of you! FGW had made a big point about the installation of ticket barriers reducing antisocial behaviour. It's always seemed to me that this argument ceases to be valid given that barriers are generally left open in the evenings which is exactly when they do have a real chance of making train crews' lives easier and the travelling experience a bit more pleasant for those of us who have a ticket and aren't off our faces looking for a fight!

Gateline staff are often agency workers and therefore easier for FGW to get rid of them it is tryng to cut back.  It we be all completely conterproductive though as ticketless travel increases and on-train morale falls. 

I am not unreservibly in favour of barriers, but if you are going to have them then they should be used properly

The arguement that they are not worth manning in the evening because most people are on the return portion of a ticket could just as easily be applied to the morning.  If you are only going to bother to check only one leg of a return journey, then leave the barriers open in the  morning when there are fewer yobs about, and check everyone's tcikets in the evening.

ATW seem t be pretty good at cardiff central for the majority of the day, with them being off sometimes in the very late evening at worst, in my experience.

All gateline staff are employed by FGW, only agency staff are for manual ticket checking at places like Newbury, Southall etc