The UK government has announced £33.4 million in funding to install new ticket gates at railway stations across England, in a bid to reduce fare evasion and recover hundreds of millions of
pounds in lost revenue each year.
The investment forms part of wider rail reforms ahead of the creation of Great British Railways (GBR), the new publicly owned body that will oversee Britain's rail network. Ministers say the additional gates will target stations where ticketless travel is most common, helping ensure more fare income is reinvested in improving services.
According to the Department for Transport, fare evasion puts up to £400 million of railway revenue at risk annually. Officials argue that money lost through unpaid fares could otherwise be used to maintain infrastructure, modernise trains and improve passenger facilities, including onboard Wi-Fi.
The funding will pay for a range of gate types, including taller barriers designed to deter people from jumping over them, as well as standard waist-height gates already used widely across Britain's rail network and the London Underground. The new equipment will be able to scan digital tickets, accept paper tickets and support contactless "tap out" journeys where available.
Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said fare evasion was "not a victimless crime", arguing it deprived the railway of funds needed to improve services for paying passengers.
He said the new barriers would help stop fare dodgers before they reached platforms, protect taxpayers' money and support investment in the rail network as the government prepares to launch Great British Railways.
The announcement comes as ministers continue efforts to simplify rail ticketing. Contactless Pay As You Go travel is being expanded, while digital ticketing trials are underway in the East Midlands and South Yorkshire. The government is also developing a new Great British Railways app that will allow passengers to buy tickets, check live train information and access customer support in one place.
Earlier this year, ministers also confirmed that passengers will be able to claim Delay Repay compensation directly through the retailer from which they purchased their ticket under the new GBR system.
Stations due to receive funding in the first phase include Liverpool Lime Street and Stafford on the Avanti West Coast network; Market Harborough on East Midlands Railway; Manchester Piccadilly served by TransPennine Express; and Stevenage, Elephant and Castle, Worthing and Gipsy Hill on the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern network.
Other locations include Witham, Rayleigh, Ware, Hertford East and Manningtree on Greater Anglia, as well as Tamworth, Nuneaton, Worcester Foregate Street and Worcester Shrub Hill on West Midlands Trains.
The government said the scheme marks the first stage of a wider programme to expand ticket gate coverage across England, with the possibility of further installations elsewhere in the UK. The first new gates are expected to be installed during the first half of 2027, with the programme due to be completed by the middle of 2028. Photo by Shinjiman, Wikimedia commons.
