What happened yesterday.
I got to my local station yesterday morning to find a crowd round the secondary entrance, the one I usually use. There was a barely audible announcement going on. The ticket barrier gates were closed and no staff were visible: there were a few people actually on the station.

Passengers being passengers, they had found that one of the barrier gates - the extra wide one for wheelchairs, buggies and large cases - could be pushed aside enough to allow passage, so a trickle of passengers was getting onto the station.

Then there was an announcement which I could only just hear to the effect that the next southbound train was at Luton, 16 km to the north, and there was an implication that it was being held there. I also caught something about a lineside fire.

I went towards the main entrance and the bus station: as I did, people were coming the other way saying that the main entrance was shut and they were hoping to get in by the secondary one.

I sent a quick text message to my daughter, who also commutes.

As I got to the bus station I saw a bus labelled "Stevenage" loading up: I joined the queue and got a seat. I reasoned that it would go to anything between one and three useful stations. When it had its full load of seated and permitted standing passengers, it set off: several were left behind.

It took half an hour to reach Hatfield station, some 10 km away.

Train passengers dominated: there were very few left on the bus as we got off at Hatfield, and only a few had boarded or alighted along the way.

At Hatfield, I caught a train to London. The service isn't nearly as good as at my local station: there was an 8:02 calling at most stations to Moorgate then an 8:18 semi-fast to King's Cross.

I got off at Finsbury Park and used the Victoria and Bakerloo Lines of the Underground to get to work at Paddington: the journey took 40-50 minutes longer than usual.

The use of barrier gates.
I did ponder the use of barrier gates to bar access to the station in times of disruption.

It wasn't working on the unstaffed side of the station. Determined passengers could by-pass them relatively easily - although presumably where there were staff, people were not getting in.

What are the advantages of trying to keep intending passengers out?

There may be a long-term issue of over-crowded platforms - although since there were few passing trains, the danger was limited!

Fewer staff would be exposed to the wrath of the frustrated Monday morning commuter - a force to be reckoned with!

Some passengers might have got onto the platforms intending to travel by train and then changed their minds: if they had day tickets (as opposed to season tickets) this might have caused problems.

There may be advantages in keeping passengers off the active railway.

Against this is the problem of communication. Station public address systems are designed to be heard by people on stations, not in the ticket barrier area (or near it, because of the crowds). So communication of the problem, of news and of updates was more difficult, which no doubt led to more frustration.

Another problem is that the gates would have had to be opened some time. Passenger psychology - especially commuter psychology - is that they have to get to the right platform quickly. There would be no orderly walk along the platform to the footbridge, over the footbridge and down to the London-bound platforms: there would have been a scrum.

The probability that someone would get hurt in the rush was quite high!

This depends to a degree on the length of the delay, the advice given to passengers and the alternatives available.

The worst combination is probably a short delay and no advice or information - so crowds would build up. As time goes on - as delays lengthen - it is more likely that the train operator would be able to find buses to take people to working stations, and passengers are more likely to find their own way (they can be a resourceful lot!).

It was an interesting experience, and one which will feed into IARO's forthcoming report on disruption, in course of preparation.

Thoughts on this use of ticket barrier gates would be welcomed.