A WORCESTERSHIRE MP says new ticket barriers will be the end of the line for fare dodgers at two of the county’s busiest railway stations.
A £33.4 million investment was announced by the government last month to help cut out fare dodging and antisocial behaviour at more than a dozen stations across England.
Worcester’s Foregate Street and Shrub Hill will be among the stations to benefit.
Both will get new, taller ticket gates, making it harder for those without a ticket to board trains by jumping over the barriers.
SECURITY: New barriers will be installed at Worcester Shrub Hill as part of a national rollout (Image: Network Rail)
The nationwide rollout is expected to begin early next year, concluding in 2028.
West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin said: “Local people frequently contact me about their experiences travelling to and from Worcester and as a regular rail user myself, we all expect to get a reliable and pleasant journey having paid the full price of a ticket.
“When people board trains without paying, they push the costs up for law-abiding passengers and undermine public confidence in the rail network and policing.”
BACKING: Dame Harriett Baldwin said fare dodgers push up costs for law-abiding passengers (Image: New College Worcester)
Dame Harriett added: “I am pleased that proactive steps are being taken to tackle fare avoidance at Worcester’s stations and I hope the revenue they recover is reinvested into improving local train services.”
Announcing the investment last month, rail minister Lord Peter Hendy said fare evasion is “not a victimless crime”.
“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.”
What train stations are getting new ticket gates?
Operators allocated funding to support the delivery of new gates include:
Avanti West Coast: Stafford, Liverpool Lime Street
East Midlands Railway: Market Harborough
Greater Anglia: Witham, Rayleigh, Ware, Hertford East and Manningtree
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Thameslink Southern Great Northern: Royston, Stevenage, Elephant and Castle, Worthing and Gipsy Hill
TransPennine Express: Manchester Piccadilly
West Midlands Trains: Tamworth, Nuneaton, Worcester Foregate Street and Worcester Shrub Hill
The government says this is the first stage of a wider programme to increase the number of ticket gates in use across England, with the potential for further rollout across the UK in the future.
Delivery of the new ticket gates is expected by mid-2028, with the first phase of rollout in place during the first half of 2027.
