Coventry station - 20m limit on barrier access

[Wymondham]

I took a journey from Coventry today for the first time in about a year and was quite surprised to be told that I couldn't go through the barrier using my advance single ticket until exactly 20m before the train was due to depart. Given the largest coffee shop with the most seats in the station is only accessible via platform 1 this seems less than ideal for travellers. Does anyone know when or why this policy was introduced and if it's here to stay?

 

[AlterEgo]

I took a journey from Coventry today for the first time in about a year and was quite surprised to be told that I couldn't go through the barrier using my advance single ticket until exactly 20m before the train was due to depart. Given the largest coffee shop with the most seats in the station is only accessible via platform 1 this seems less than ideal for travellers. Does anyone know when or why this policy was introduced and if it's here to stay?

It's ostensibly to stop people taking a train earlier than booked, as there are up to three Avanti trains an hour (and there were consistently so in the pre-pandemic timetable). Just ask the barrier attendant and you should be let through.

 

[Wymondham]

It's ostensibly to stop people taking a train earlier than booked, as there are up to three Avanti trains an hour (and there were consistently so in the pre-pandemic timetable). Just ask the barrier attendant and you should be let through.

I did try that, it was the barrier attendant who told me I had to wait.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've seen them doing this at Birmingham International as well despite there being lots of seating inside the gateline and very little outside unless you go over to the airport. A very poor policy indeed. The refusal I saw was of a very confused foreign tourist, too, which is even worse.

I wonder if that's why they've installed all that seating on the public side at New St, blocking the entrance?

Sounds like Avanti management have been looking for more ways to make their execrable TOC even worse.

 

[AlterEgo]

I did try that, it was the barrier attendant who told me I had to wait.

I am surprised - I have had this issue at Rugby before, and the gateline simply let me through with advice not to take X train.

 

[Wymondham]

I just walked through the gates; and saw that, ironically, the 14:45 service to Euston has been delayed by 10 minutes - completely defeating the point of this policy!

 

[OscarH]

What a bizarre way to treat passengers when there's no issue with platform capacity. If they're that concerned about people getting the wrong train they could easily just note the CCST or leave a note against the eTicket to say the time was advised.

 

[Joey Beauchamp]

The barrier staff at Coventry station are appalling. They are either badly trained or deliberately trained to antagonise! I find it very strange as the staff at Rugby are helpful and friendly almost without fail.

I went out to M&S food between trains and my ticket opened the barriers. On trying to get back in, I was told that my ticket wasn't valid as it had already been used! It was the return portion of a Rugby to Banbury off-peak return and they didn't seem to be able to fathom that a ticket without "Coventry" written on it was valid to enter and exit Coventry station. It took some minutes to be let through and it was only because I was adamant about the ticket validity - someone else may have gone and purchased another ticket.

Then a few weeks ago I went out of the station to Greggs between trains. This time it was the outward part of a Long Buckby to Bedworth day return. Again it opened the barriers. On trying to get back in the staff member told me "You have to come back in through the same set of barriers you exited through" and then completely ignored my protestation that I HAD exited through this set of barriers (by the new footbridge) five minutes ago and he just hadn't noticed. Eventually after waiting to attract his attention (he was literally ignoring me) for some time, I took out the return portion of my ticket and used that to open the barriers.

It's nuts that they don't seem to know their own rules or have any common sense!

 

[SuspectUsual]

The barrier staff at Coventry station are appalling

Yes

As I mentioned before on another thread, these are the people who refuse to let my elderly parents through until exactly 9:30 when they're using their passes, meaning they can't get the 9:30 train.

And yes, they've complained

And yes, Avanti have doubled down on it and insisted they're correct

 

[DJ_K666]

I took a journey from Coventry today for the first time in about a year and was quite surprised to be told that I couldn't go through the barrier using my advance single ticket until exactly 20m before the train was due to depart. Given the largest coffee shop with the most seats in the station is only accessible via platform 1 this seems less than ideal for travellers. Does anyone know when or why this policy was introduced and if it's here to stay?

Buy a 10p platform ticket.