The United Kingdom will invest GBP 33.4 million (EUR 39 million) to install new access gates at train stations across England, as part of a program aimed at reducing fare evasion and improving rail services.
The new access control systems will be introduced at stations where they are currently lacking and will prevent ticketless access to platforms. The investment is part of a broad reform of the British rail system and aims to recoup revenue lost due to fare evasion.
The British government estimates that fare evasion costs the rail sector up to EUR 468 million annually. The money lost in this way could be used to maintain the network, modernize trains, or improve services for passengers.
New Control Systems for More Efficient Rail Transport
The funding will enable the installation of various types of access gates, including taller models designed to prevent passengers from jumping over barriers, as well as standard gates already in use at many stations across the UK and on the London Underground.
At the same time, new digital payment and ticketing methods are being introduced. Passengers are already benefiting from the expansion of the “Pay As You Go” contactless system, as well as trials of digital tickets in regions such as the East Midlands and South Yorkshire.
These changes are part of the preparations for the launch of Great British Railways (GBR), the new organization that will coordinate the British rail system and aims to simplify ticket purchasing and create more reliable services.
The new gates will allow for multiple access methods, including scanning digital tickets, inserting printed tickets, or validating trips via contactless payment where this option is available.
Among the rail operators that will receive funding to install the new gates are:
- Avanti West Coast – Stafford and Liverpool Lime Street;
- East Midlands Railway – Market Harborough;
- Greater Anglia – Witham, Rayleigh, Ware, Hertford East, and Manningtree;
- 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 program represents the first phase of a broader plan to expand the number of access gates at train stations in England, with the possibility of introducing them in other areas of the United Kingdom as well.
The first installations are scheduled for the first half of 2027, and completion of the current phase is estimated by mid-2028.
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