The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that new ticket barriers will be installed at Liverpool Lime Street station as part of a £33.4 million investment to tackle fare evasion. The change, expected to begin in the first half of 2027 and be completed by mid-2028, will affect thousands of passengers every day.
Investment in taller gates
The funding will be used to install taller gates to prevent passengers jumping over them, as well as additional standard waist-high gates. The Rail Delivery Group estimates that between £350 million and £400 million in annual fares revenue is lost to fraud and ticketless travel.
Stations targeted across England
Liverpool Lime Street is one of several “fare dodger hotspots” identified by the DfT. Other stations receiving new barriers include Stafford (Avanti West Coast), Market Harborough (East Midlands Railway), Hertford East, Manningtree, Rayleigh, Ware and Witham (Greater Anglia), Elephant and Castle, Gipsy Hill, Royston, Stevenage and Worthing (Thameslink Southern Great Northern), Manchester Piccadilly (TransPennine Express), and Nuneaton, Tamworth, Worcester Foregate Street and Worcester Shrub Hill (West Midlands Trains).
Minister’s statement
Rail minister Lord Hendy said: “Fare evasion is not a victimless crime – it undermines confidence in the railway and means passengers lose out on millions in revenue which should be invested to improve services for everyone. By stopping fare dodgers before they reach the platform, we’re protecting taxpayer cash, supporting investment in the network and ensuring the railway works better for the millions of passengers who do the right thing every day by paying their way.”
