This might work on a Euston-Glasgow (first stop Warrington) but is the guard on a Crewe-Manchester stopper, picking up passengers eovery few minutes and with stationSure, perhaps then records of railcards should be able to be pulled up by revenue, if such a situation occurs. A quick check of ID and if it comes up on the system with a face check then its clear.
But it has been ever thus in many cases.Those are the choices that the railway has made: to not have barriers, and to not thoroughly check each ticket - they could have chosen otherwise. As to whether they are the right choices, I won't comment, but consequences follow from them.
Plenty of smaller stations where barriers never existed; plenty of trains where onboard checks were impractical.