The Ticket Collector

Guide to using your ticket or season ticket.

Your ticket is your proof of purchase and is your entitlement (in most cases) to travel. Please remember to keep it safe, clean, dry (yes some people think its funny to soak the ticket), and always keep it to the end of your journey. Your journey does not end when you get off the train, it ends when you leave the railway station.

When you get off the train please take your ticket out of your wallet and have it ready for inspection by the ticket inspectors at the station entrances/exits. Always assume there will be ticket checks.

If there are automatic ticket gates, you will need to put your tickets through the slot below the big green arrow. Just because your a lazy communter who cant be bothered to take your annual gold card out of your wallet doesnt mean you can go through the wide gate. You have to put your tickets through the gates like everyone else has to. Your not special you know!

Did you know that if you fail to go through the ticket gates correctly that you are in breech of a railway byelaw?

9. Stations and railway premises

(2) Where the entrance to or exit from any platform or station is via a manned or an automatic ticket barrier no person shall enter or leave the station, except with permission from an authorised person, without passing through the barrier in the correct manner.

Correct manner is described as above, and NOT THROUGH THE WIDE GATE.

If you fail to show a vaild ticket on demand by an authorised official (that includes ticket collectors, fraud officer and security guards) that you are also in breech of a railway byelaw.

17. Compulsory Ticket Areas

(2) A person shall hand over his ticket for inspection and verification of validity when asked to do so by an authorised person.

18. Ticketless travel in non-compulsory ticket areas.

(2) A person shall hand over his ticket for inspection and verification of validity when asked to do so by an authorised person.

That meens that if you are asked for your ticket, you must take it out of your wallet and hand it to an authorised official. Just flashing it is not acceptable.

However if your season ticket generally does not work, i.e. not because you want to save time and are a lazy communter who cant be bothered to get it out of your wallet, you can go to the ticket office to get a replacement free of charge. If you have to do this once a week then you must do it once a week.~
Keeping your ticket next to a blackberry, a mobile phone, an oystercard or somthing that generates a magnetic field will wipe your ticket and make the ticket barriers reject your ticket.

FCC launches first automated ticket gates at Stevenage

First Capital Connect has launched new automatic ticket gates at Stevenage station.

The ticket gates will help to improve security at the station and on trains by deterring crime and vandalism. The gates ensure that customers who have purchased the correct ticket for travel will no longer be subsidising those who have not.

The automatic ticket gates were officially launched this week (19 December) at Stevenage station by Elaine Holt, Managing Director, First Capital Connect, Willie McCafferty, Chief Superintendent, British Transport Police and Kerry Williamson of Passenger Focus.

Elaine Holt, Managing Director, First Capital Connect, said: “Those who travel on the railway without valid tickets cost the industry £200m every year. Since taking over the franchise in April, we have made real efforts to reduce ticketless travel across our network and have seen some very positive results.

“The introduction of the automatic ticket gates is a natural progression of this work. Stevenage is the first of 14 stations to have automatic ticket gates installed.”

Willie McCafferty, Chief Superintendent, British Transport Police, said: “The British Transport Police is delighted to support First Capital Connect with the introduction of the automatic ticket barriers. Experience demonstrates that ticket gates really have a positive impact of reducing crime and disorder.”

Kerry Williamson of Passenger Focus said: “From a customer perspective, we fully support any improvements to stations that will ensure the train operating companies collect revenue that is due to them and pass this on to customers through improved facilities.”

The new ticket gates at Stevenage include one wide aisle, which allows extra space for customers with bicycles, luggage, pushchairs or extra bags to pass through easily.