Re: [NSW] Cityrail - AutomatedTicketing

[billboltonREMOVE-TO-EMAIL@computer.org (Bill Bolton)]

Hubert Lam <hubert@imap4.com> wrote:

> What I don't understand is, why the world were ticket gates only
> installed at major stations (during 1992/3)? Fair enough the gates might
> be an expensive piece of capital for CR, but wouldn't investing this
> money in the gates for at least all Sydney suburban stations reap more
> benefits for CR itself instead of having those rather menaces ("revenue
> protection officers") roaming around the place?

As long as the gates are at the major traffic "destinations" they
don't need to be everywhere.  If there is a gate at one end of most
journeys, then passengers will have a strong incentive to have a
ticket.

For instance, a station like Gordon has a lot of traffic, but very
little of it is inbound, except a few office workers and school
students.  Most of the passengers boarding at Gordon will be
travelling to the City, North Sydney, St Leonards, Chatswood or
Hornsby, all of which have gates.

Also keep in mind, that as well as the cost of the gates, the need to
a genuinely out-of-the-weather "booking hall" like location for them,
which for many stations would be quite an expensive proposition to
provide... Gordon again is a good example.

Cheers,
Bill