There’s a problem with tickets issued with the Goldcard discount for holders of annual season tickets. It seems that the ticket barriers are programmed not to open automatically with them. Instead the customer is expected go to the ticket barrier staff to have their ticket and their card inspected. That’s inconvenient and wastes time.

This happened to me again recently at Bedford. The barriers would not open to allow me to exit the platform. I walked towards a member of staff who was by the gate line and said to her I presume the barriers did not open because my ticket has been bought with the Goldcard discount. Yes, she replied, and then continued that she thought it was stupid to prevent people exiting stations with these tickets so that the staff can check that the person does have a Goldcard because they have already travelled. It would make more sense to check that the person has the Goldcard as they attempt to enter the platforms before travelling. She let me through the barrier – and did not ask to see my Goldcard!

The assumption of the rail companies seems to be that a customer using a Gold Card discounted ticket is a criminal until proved otherwise.

That’s a strange way for a business to treat its most loyal customers.