Automatic ticket gates are being installed at Glasgow Central High Level station.
The gates will complete the so-called ‘ring of steel’ at stations in and around the city centre.
Four other stations – Charing Cross, Argyle Street, Anderston and Glasgow Central Low Level – received the gates in recent months.
They were introduced under commitments to reduce ticketless travel, increase revenue protection, improve station security and discourage anti-social behaviour.
Preparatory works at Glasgow Central High Level are underway, with the first ‘live’ gates scheduled to be operational at platforms 7 and 8 by the end of this month.
Under the rolling programme, it is expected the automatic ticket gates – covering platforms 9 and 10, 11-15 and 3-6 – will be phased in by the end of November.
The majority of works will take place overnight, causing minimal impact on customers travelling through the station during the day.
Steve Montgomery, ScotRail’s managing director, said:
“Revenue protection and reducing ticketless travel have always been priorities for us because it is honest, fare-paying passengers who bear the burden in lost investment in Scotland’s railway.
“Ticket gates, which are part of out franchise agreement, are also proven to discourage anti-social behaviour and improve station security.”
With the introduction of the gates, ScotRail is encouraging customers to buy their tickets in advance of travel.
Daily passengers can opt for weekly, monthly or annual season tickets, saving up to 30% in their travel costs in the process. For one-off journeys, pre-dated tickets can be purchased up to seven days before travel.
Buy in advance….who are they kidding….ticketing at Central Station is a joke. They have 4 people in the ticket office (always with HUGE queues) and just 4 automatic ticket machines! They need more vending machines now, strangely enough, the smaller Queen Street station has double the number of automatic machines….SCOTFAIL!