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A rail operator has become the first in the country to install taller ticket barriers at a station following a trial in July. Chiltern Railways has fitted FEnx gates, designed by Cubic Transportation Systems, at both entrances to High Wycombe railway station, serving platforms one, two and three. In July, the Department for Transport (DfT) said taller barriers would be rolled out across the country as part of a £33.4m scheme to combat fare dodging.
Tony Baxter, interim managing director of Chiltern Railways, said: "Their size and innovative features will not only protect crucial funds lost to fare evasion, but they will improve the experience for customers travelling through the station." The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, said fare evasion costs the industry up to £400m a year, but acknowledged the industry has to be "more consistent" in tackling the issue. Chiltern Railways, which was nationalised last month, recovered more than £1m in unpaid fares in 2024. It does not yet have figures for 2025.
It said the gates combined a full-height physical barrier with "intelligent detection technology", which can identify when someone was trying to pass through without a ticket. The barriers emit a short alarm as a warning if a passenger forgets to tap in and alert station staff to someone who may have inadvertently failed to do so. Sensors and computer vision technology mean the gates close more slowly if they detect that a person has stopped in the aisle.
The new gates, which were made in the US, replaced barriers at the station that were 30 years old. Ian Mansfield, founder of the Ian Visits website which provides commentary on public transport, noted the design of the gates was "slightly fortress-like" and that their plain metal appearance was "very American in style". "If the entrance to the station starts looking more like a forbidding security barrier, then it's less of a welcome and more of a warning," Mansfield said.
Chiltern Railways defended the design, saying it was about finding a "balance between protecting revenue and creating a safe, accessible and welcoming passenger experience". It added pay-as-you-go technology for customers using contactless was still in the "testing phase" and would be available for use on the new gates in the "coming weeks". Card validators next to the gates can be used in the interim.
Emma Reynolds, the MP for Wycombe and chief secretary to the Treasury, said: "As a regular commuter on Chiltern Railways, I welcome measures to crack down on fare evasion and anti-social behaviour. "I am delighted that High Wycombe has been selected as the first station in the country to get the state-of-the-art FEnX gates." Do you have a story suggestion for Beds, Herts or Bucks? Contact us below.
Source: BBC
