As both a Councillor for Hayes and Coney Hall, and as London Assembly Member for Bexley and Bromley, Thomas has been campaigning for ticket barriers at Hayes station. The barriers will be a useful tool in tackling anti-social behaviour, and other crimes around the station, as well as preventing criminals coming up the line to commit other offences on Station Approach.
Due to the pressure from this campaign, Hayes is now the third highest priority for ticket barriers on the Southeastern network, but the rail operator has been unable to get Government funding for them, despite making a bid.
Thomas has raised this with the Mayor of London, Southeastern, and the British Transport Police on several occasions. To help keep the pressure up, Peter Fortune MP, has also raised the matter with Ministers.
Read the question from Peter, and response from Minister below:
Question (Peter Fortune MP | Member of Parliament for Bromley and Biggin Hill):
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of installing ticket barriers at Hayes station in Kent to help tackle (a) fare evasion and (b) anti-social behaviour?
Answer (Simon Lightwood | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Transport):
Since coming into public ownership in 2021, Southeastern Trains have invested significantly in actions to tackle fare evasion and anti-social behaviour, including extra security trained staff at key locations, intelligence led revenue protection exercises, increased onboard ticket checks and increased gate line hours. Southeastern now have one of the lowest levels of ticketless travel across the country.
Installing a new gate line at an ungated station is expensive and therefore train operators prioritise stations that have higher levels of fare evasion and anti-social behaviour. Currently Southeastern Trains are focussing on projects to install gates at Ramsgate and Margate which will be delivered over the next 12-18 months. Southeastern Trains have conducted a high-level survey at Hayes which concluded that the station is suitable for the installation of ticket barriers, however further work is required over the coming months to develop the business case for future gating schemes.
