Open Stations

[GordonT]

Are there any reasonably large and busy stations left (let's say a minimum of 4 regularly utilised platforms) which have no physical barriers or prohibitions to accessing any of the platforms nor any discouragement from freely accessing any public part of any platform?
Many reasons have been given for the need to control access to platforms e.g. revenue protection, allowing trains to be cleaned between journeys, preventing trains from being boarded during attaching/detaching of units, preventing random folk from wandering about who might cause harm to themselves or to others etc. They may well be valid reasons and I'm wondering why they seemingly were not perceived to be sufficiently valid in the days when Open Stations were seen to be the way to go.

 

[FatContr0ller]

Last time I was in Hull there was no gates or barriers

 

[alxndr]

Sheffield seems to fit your criteria

 

[JonathanH]

Are there any reasonably large and busy stations left (let's say a minimum of 4 regularly utilised platforms) which have no physical barriers or prohibitions to accessing any of the platforms nor any discouragement from freely accessing any public part of any platform?

York and Sheffield are the usual two noted, plus Doncaster, Stafford, Preston and Carlisle.

Last time I was in Hull there was no gates or barriers

Hull's barriers are due to be fitted shortly.
https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/new...ws/automatic-ticket-barrier-plan-aims-7770023

Automatic ticket barrier plan aims to cut fare-dodging at Hull's Paragon rail station

Major chages earmarked for station concourse

Plans have been submitted to install automatic ticket barriers at Hull's Paragon railway station.

Station operator TransPennine Express says the barriers will reduce fare-dodging and allow better control of access to the main platform areas of the station while "increasing revenue protection measures". At the moment, anyone can walk onto the platform areas via a route between the main station waiting room and the Starbucks unit even if they are not intending to travel on a train.

If approved, four new-look barriers would be installed on the main station concourse close to the statue of Philip Larkin. An initial design proposal that would have required the relocation of the statue has been dropped.

 

[skyhigh]

Sheffield and York are two examples I can think of (mainly due to the right of way that exists through the station)

 

[D6130]

Platforms 1 & 2 at Glasgow Central and the through platforms and East end bays at Edinburgh Waverley.

 

[JonathanH]

I'm wondering why they seemingly were not perceived to be sufficiently valid in the days when Open Stations were seen to be the way to go.

Open stations was a policy hatched when it was thought that passengers would still buy tickets when revenue checks were removed at the entrance to the station. The reality is that a small minority of people will only pay when challenged, but that minority of people is sufficient to result in revenue loss that exceeds the cost of ticket gates, and staffing them.

 

[RPI]

Platforms 1, 8 and 9 at Paddington.
Penzance.
Worcester Foregate Street though only 2 Platforms is certainly a busy station where one would expect there to be a gateline.
Exeter St Davids gates are open so often that it almost qualifies

 

[StarCrossing]

Whilst not as big or busy as other stations mentioned, I believe Filton Abbey Wood meets your criteria.

 

[RPI]

Whilst not as big or busy as other stations mentioned, I believe Filton Abbey Wood meets your criteria.

Though there is a manual ticket check there in the morning peak.

 

[30907]

A number of 4-platformed suburban stations in South London, but I am not sure these days which are both unbarriered AND have all 4 in regular use,
Beckenham Jn qualifies, as do St Mary Cray, Swanley, Hither Green, possibly Petts Wood - assuming they have no barriers?

 

[Jrocks]

Twyford count? The Mainline platforms arent used as much as the reliefs but still a very busy station.

 

[Peter0124]

Platforms 1 & 2 at Glasgow Central and the through platforms and East end bays at Edinburgh Waverley.

I'm sure Avanti close off 1 and 2 with railings unless I'm wrong

 

[james60059]

I'm sure Nuneaton would count, no barriers and has 7 platforms (although 3 and 4 are used ad-hoc).

 

[Llandudno]

No ticket barriers at Liverpool Lime Street platforms 7-10

 

[william.martin]

Though their is barriers fitted, I have visited Wolverhampton many times when the barriers are left open.

 

[Huntergreed]

Platforms 1 & 2 at Glasgow Central and the through platforms and East end bays at Edinburgh Waverley.

Platforms 1 and 2 at Glasgow Central normally have a metal barrier blocking access until it’s time for the Avanti service to board (in which case, it’s a manual ticket check).

All other times, you need to go through the barrier at P3/4 and then go around the back of the Starbucks hut to access the platform.

Shame as this was a great, open access platform pre-Covid!

(Although technically you don’t have to pass a barrier to access P11-15 at Glasgow Central, provided you know the trick )

 

[matthewjohnson]

York and Edinburgh Waverley

 

[Peter0124]

Platforms 1 and 2 at Glasgow Central normally have a metal barrier blocking access until it’s time for the Avanti service to board (in which case, it’s a manual ticket check).

All other times, you need to go through the barrier at P3/4 and then go around the back of the Starbucks hut to access the platform.

Shame as this was a great, open access platform pre-Covid!

(Although technically no barrier is required to access P11-15 at Glasgow Central, provided you know the trick )

I don't like the queueing around railings idea at all, makes boarding at Glasgow a lot like Euston. Instead boarding at Motherwell avoids it though (but less seating opportunity)

 

[JonathanH]

Instead boarding at Motherwell avoids it though (but less seating opportunity)

Motherwell is due to be gated, on completion of its redevelopment.
https://www.scotrail.co.uk/motherwell-station-redevelopment

Phase 6
New, extended retail facilities created on the station concourse.
Station forecourt closes to all vehicles.
Landscaping of station forecourt completes.
New ticket gate installed on station concourse.

 

[Huntergreed]

Motherwell is due to be gated.

I would still say an automatic barrier is better than the Euston-style scrum you get at Central to be fair!

 

[Peter0124]

Motherwell is due to be gated, on completion of its redevelopment.
https://www.scotrail.co.uk/motherwell-station-redevelopment

Yeah but you can just put the ticket in and board the train when the train arrives rather than queueing outside the Platform.

 

[weepingwillowb]

Lancaster.

 

[scragend]

Wigan North Western

 

[DanNCL]

Ramsgate is unbarriered.
The LU part of Finsbury Park has two entrances, one of which is unbarriered.

Platforms 1 and 2 at Glasgow Central normally have a metal barrier blocking access until it’s time for the Avanti service to board (in which case, it’s a manual ticket check).

The metal barriers are usually removed for LNER and the Caledonian Sleeper.

 

[D6130]

Preston

Carlisle

 

[danielcanning]

Ramsgate is unbarriered.
The LU part of Finsbury Park has two entrances, one of which is unbarriered.


The metal barriers are usually removed for LNER and the Caledonian Sleeper.

All three entrances to Finsbury Park Tube are now barriered.

 

[JonathanH]

Ramsgate is unbarriered.

As is Margate, which also has four platforms, although traffic there is less than at Ramsgate. Both seem to be stations where there is plenty of space for a gateline and likely to be justification for fitting one.

 

[johnnychips]

At Sheffield you occasionally get a bank of revenue inspection officers when your train arrives in the bay platforms 3 and 4 before you can exit via the stairs. I have no idea if you have any right to walk straight past them as there is no physical barrier.

At Doncaster there are occasional revenue teams at the top of the exit stairs, but from time to time there has been an actual physical temporary barrier in the subway that you are funnelled through. (If you don’t know Doncaster, all platforms have to be accessed by a subway). Of course, the checks had to be done personally rather than a machine passengers insert tickets into like a ‘real’ barrier.

Naturally, I am not condoning any form of fare evasion.

 

[DanNCL]

All three entrances to Finsbury Park Tube are now barriered.

So that’s now two sets of barriers to access the national rail platforms? Or have the platform level barriers now gone?

Haven’t been there since Summer 2021. It was still unbarriered then.