End of the line for rail fare dodgers as new ticket barriers rolled out at Manchester and Liverpool stations

New ticket barriers will be installed at railway stations across England in a crackdown on fare evasion, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced.

A £33.4 million investment will fund taller gates to prevent passengers jumping over them, and more standard waist-high gates.

Industry body the Rail Delivery Group estimates that at least £350 million to £400 million of annual fares revenue is lost to fraud and ticketless travel each year.

The new barriers will be deployed at “fare dodger hotspots”, the DfT said, and will affect passengers travelling between Preston, Manchester Piccadilly, and Liverpool Lime Street.

These operators have been allocated funding to install the barriers at:

– TransPennine Express: Manchester Piccadilly.

– Avanti West Coast: Liverpool Lime Street and Stafford.

– East Midlands Railway: Market Harborough.

– Greater Anglia: Hertford East, Manningtree, Rayleigh, Ware and Witham.

– Thameslink Southern Great Northern: Elephant and Castle, Gipsy Hill, Royston, Stevenage and Worthing.

– West Midlands Trains: Nuneaton, Tamworth, Worcester Foregate Street and Worcester Shrub Hill.

Rail minister Lord Hendy said: “Fare evasion is not a victimless crime – it undermines confidence in the railway and means passengers lose out on millions in revenue which should be invested to improve services for everyone.

“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.”

The rollout of the new gates is expected to begin in the first half of next year, and be completed by mid-2028.