Request ID: FOI-2690-2324 Date published: 16 November 2023
You asked
Dear Transport for London,
Over the past year, I've noticed a marked increase in gatelines being left unmanned, particularly at smaller stations. Please can you provide:
- Any staff guidance on the manning of gatelines
- Any details of policy changes in this matter since the start of 2022
- Any documentation to customers, however distributed, on what they should do when they have an issue preventing them from passing through a gateline (by way of example, a National Rail-issued ticket that has had its magstripe corrupted).
We answered
TfL Ref: 2690-2324
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 29 October 2023 asking for information about unmanned gatelines.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold the information you require. You asked: Over the past year, I've noticed a marked increase in gatelines being left unmanned, particularly at smaller stations. Please can you provide:
- Any staff guidance on the manning of gatelines - Any details of policy changes in this matter since the start of 2022 - Any documentation to customers, however distributed, on what they should do when they have an issue preventing them from passing through a gateline (by way of example, a National Rail-issued ticket that has had its magstripe corrupted).
Typically the gateline would be open in the situation you describe above so customers would be free to pass through if, for example, their National Rail ticket’s mag stripe had been corrupted. They may be asked to show their ticket to staff. Pay as you go users (oyster and contactless) are usually advised to touch in or out via station announcements. It should be noted that at some locations, the gatelines may be monitored remotely from the station office, so there may be occasions where there appears to be no staff present but there would be staff available to assist if required.
There has been no change of policy, but over the last few years there have been more instances of stations being short of staff.
Staff assistance We have staff at all Tube, Elizabeth line and London Overground stations whenever services are running. Some piers, all boats, the IFS Cloud Cable Car and Victoria Coach Station are staffed too. Trams and buses are staffed by the driver. In our Conditions of Carriage - https://content.tfl.gov.uk/tfl-conditions-of-carriage.pdf - we say as follows:
3.3 Using a season ticket on your Oyster card or smartcard 3.3.1 When you use Tube, London Overground, Elizabeth line and National Rail services, you must touch your Oyster card or smartcard on the yellow card reader at both the start and the end of your journey. If the ticket gates are open, you must still touch your card on the yellow card reader. Provided your season ticket is valid at the time you travel, you can still use it at stations where there is no yellow card reader or if the reader is not working. You may be asked to show your Oyster card (and photocard where needed) or smartcard. When using buses and trams, you must only touch your Oyster card on the yellow card reader at the start of your journey. You can use the season ticket on your Oyster card or smartcard provided it is valid at the time you travel and any pay as you go balance is not in debit. If you have a negative balance, you must add credit to clear it before you can use it again
5.1.7 Duty to show printed tickets. At stations where there are no ticket gates, or where the ticket gates are open or not in use, and on buses and trams, you must be prepared to show your printed ticket (and photocard, if needed) to a member of staff before starting or ending your journey. You must let a member of staff or a Police Officer examine it at any time during your journey if they ask you to do so. If you fail to do so, you may be liable to pay a penalty fare or you may be prosecuted.
6.2 Replacement printed season tickets. If you bought your printed season ticket from a London Overground or Elizabeth line station and it gets damaged or the print can no longer be read or if it no longer works at the gates, you must get it replaced. You can do this at any London Overground or Elizabeth line ticket office.
In the National Rail Conditions of Travel it states: You must show and, if asked to do so by the staff of a Train Company, hand over for inspection your Ticket and any Railcard, photocard or other form of personal identification which your Ticket requires.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely
Sara Thomas FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
