News

NEW TICKET GATES FOR MANCHESTER OXFORD ROAD

11th January 2008

Northern Rail will install new automatic ticket gates at Manchester Oxford Road station over the next few weeks.

The six new ticket gates will help reduce congestion at peak times, improving customers’ journeys through the station. The gates will also help reduce the number of people travelling without a ticket, estimated to cost the rail industry £210 million every year.

Work is underway to install the ticket gates near to the booking office. The ticket gates will be operational from early March.

Posters and leaflets explaining how the ticket gates work are available at Manchester Oxford Road station.

Jamie Ross, Area Director West, Northern Rail said: “These new ticket gates are simple to use and I’m sure customers will soon start to see the benefits with reduced congestion during peak hours. They are also proven to reduce anti-social behaviour helping to maintain a more secure environment. The gates won’t be replacing people though and our station team will continue to be on hand to advise and assist customers.”

- Ends -

Notes to editors

Attached picture shows the type of gates that will be installed.

For further information contact the Northern Rail press office on 01904 568652 / 568670.

Northern Rail is the biggest train operator in Britain, providing 2,500 local and regional train services every day across the north of England, serving a population of nearly 15m. We are now carrying 77 million passengers a year, 20% more than when we started our franchise in December 2004.

Northern Rail is owned by Serco-NedRailways, a joint venture established in 2002 that combines Serco’s world-class service credentials and NedRailways’ unrivalled rail industry expertise. Serco has run the highly successful Docklands Light Railway since 1997 while NedRailways’ parent, NS Dutch Railways, carries over 1.1 million passengers every day in the Netherlands.

In addition to Northern Rail, Serco-NedRailways has the 25-year concession for Merseyrail, which provides urban train services in Merseyside.

Recent Northern honours

Public Transport Operator of the Year - National Transport Awards 2007

Winners – Example of Excellence in Rural Action, Business in the Community Awards 2007

Overall Winners - Community Rail Awards 2007