Railway station ticket barriers

[MermaidEyes]

Slightly random query...

I have a ticket for a specific journey that changes at the next station along. As there's only a 10 minute window for the change I think it would be easier to actually just get on the train at the second station and do the journey from there. However, a friend has just told me that the ticket may not let me through the entrance barriers as its not originating from that station, but from the one before. Anyone know if this is true and if it might present a problem?

Yes. You’d be depending on the goodwill of the staff to let you through.

Ah that's my thoughts. I didn't actually book the tickets as I would have chosen a train with no changes 😒

As long as your ticket covers you tra being through that station they should let you through. You can break your journey up, it's allowed.

Technically you're not allowed to do this so it will depend on the goodwill of staff. Some probably won't care but a jobsworth might.

Not always. I frequently used to buy a ticket from A to C but get off At B which was two stops before C but cheaper. They cracked down on it. Someone got fined, he said he was just breaking his journey at B for 30 mins but the fine was upheld. 🤷🏻‍♀️

If it's a special ticket (there used to be a Mega ticket from Waterloo to Southampton and you couldn't get off earlier eg at Eastleigh - someone was fined for doing that) it could be a problem. But a standard ticket is fine - just double check the National Conditions of Carriage for your ticket. Anyway, the barriers might be open! I don't think anyone would moan at you if you are worried about the time to change trains.

Was that like this? www.itv.com/news/granada/2017-02-03/virgin-trains-acting-like-gestapo-over-ticket-row

Yes. And it was a ticket man who told me about the hack in the first place!

Some tickets are OK and others not. Need to look at the T and Cs or if they are confusing tweet the operator. That's what I did!

This exact scenario happened with my daughter last week. I dropped her off at the next station, and she got through the ticket barrier scanning her ticket with no problem at all!

She had a super off peak ticket

If the pricing is the same or similar, then the gate staff will almost certainly let you through and not be bothered about it being, strictly, the wrong ticket.

However, if it's a much cheaper "split ticket" or similar where it's clear a different ticket was bought to take advantage of a price difference, then your chances of getting through are a lot lower.

It will all depend on the personnel, how much of a jobsworth they are, etc.

An option may be to see if you can buy a platform ticket from the ticket office, which will allow you through the barriers. Not all stations/train operating companies do them though.

Seems some varied responses so we've decided we will just go from the original station, hope the train isn't delayed and leg it onto the next train 😂