Last Saturday, me and my partner travelled on the last service from
Kings Cross Thameslink to St. Albans (01.08). We needed two extensions
from Zone 6 to St Albans, but the ticket desk was obviously closed and
the automatic ticket machines don't do extensions (or Gold Card
discounts). No permit to travel machine either (that I could see).

So we boarded the train and wondered how we would get through the
barriers. As it turned out, they were all open anyway!

At no point did we have the opportunity to get a ticket, so we
travelled for free (well, part of the way at least). I'm guessing that
everyone else knows that the barriers are left open after a certain
time, so surely half (or more) of the people on the train would quite
happily fare dodge at this time of night?

Jonathan

yeah but don't forget that most people who travel out of London after
11:30 are just returning home...  so they'll already have a ticket from
when they travelled in.   And the few people who don't have a ticket
won't be travelling very far so it probably costs the train companies
less to let them travel free than to pay for people to staff the ticket
offices etc.

Sadly, I suspect this is the case. Yet it is late at night, when
vandalism and drunkenness are at their highest level, that we need
staff. On my line (Kings Cross - Cambridge) there are no ticket
barriers at any station and few staff around either late at night,
except, to be fair, at Stevenage where there is a severe yob problem
and the staff there have their work cut out. Every so often, security
guards can be seen patrolling trains but far too infrequently.

Still, it saves a few bob and keeps the accountants (and Treasury)
happy, and by discouraging people from using trains at night and
driving instead, we're making sure the Treasury isn't deprived of its
(unfair) due!

On the subject of ticket machines, as a Travelcard user, it does annoy
me that no machines issue extensions from Zone boundaries and many do
not give Gold Card discounts. Being cynical, I suspect this is to
ensure that people pay more for their fare than need be (see above
about keeping accountants happy etc!).