New changes are coming to train stations that could catch-out travellers looking for cheaper travel.
A new technology is currently being introduced to the ticket gates of Northern managed train stations. The technology is designed to catch out people looking to chance cheaper train travel using incorrect tickets.
Northern, who operate train services out of Liverpool Lime Street, said the technology will "quickly and accurately" check if a ticket is valid and will alert staff if the ticket requires any additional checks. That means anyone travelling on a child or railcard ticket could be asked to produce ID or proof.
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Staff will then check the ticket's validity, and take appropriate action.
The train service provider has already trialled the technology, and during trials at Manchester Victoria almost 900 people were caught out by the new technology. Penalty fares worth over £1,500 were issued to 79 people, with 24 adults caught travelling on a children's ticket during the trial.
Mark Powles, customer and commercial director at Northern, said: "This technology will be invaluable for our gate line and revenue protection colleagues whose job it is to ensure ticket checks are carried out quickly and efficiently.
"Unfortunately, we know that a small minority of customers try to exploit the automated nature of barrier checks to travel on tickets they know they’re not eligible to use.
"The kit is very easy to install and can be deployed to known hotspots across the whole network to help tackle this fraudulent activity."
Northern is the UK's second largest train operator, with 2,000 services a day to more than 500 stations, including Liverpool Lime Street, across the North.
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