TRAINS: Neath and Swansea stations get new ticket gates and video help points this month

Rail passengers in Neath and Swansea will see new ticket gates, staff tablets and video help points at their stations this month, with a week of manual ticket checks at each while the kit goes in.

Transport for Wales is upgrading seven stations across its network this summer, and the two local ones are next on the list: Neath from Monday 17 to Friday 21 August, then Swansea from Monday 24 to Friday 28 August.

Between them the two stations clocked more than three million passenger entries and exits last year, according to the rail regulator’s latest estimates: around 2.3 million at Swansea, the busiest station in south west Wales, and 838,000 at Neath, where the most common journey is to Swansea itself.

The work brings modernised gatelines, tablet devices for staff at the barriers, and new interactive video help points, which the operator says are designed to make station access easier and more accessible.

While each five-day installation runs, the new gates will stay out of service for testing. Passengers can travel as normal, with tickets checked by hand by station staff.

There is one catch for contactless users: anyone using pay as you go tap-in should still tap in on entry and tap out on exit during the works. Missing a tap can mean an incomplete journey charge, though TfW says missing details are easily corrected through its app or online account.

Both stations are already part of TfW’s pay as you go network, where passengers tap in and out with a bank card or phone rather than buying a paper ticket, which is why the tap-out habit matters while the gates are out of action.

The video help points offer two-way video and audio, letting passengers speak directly to staff if something goes wrong, such as a ticket not being accepted at a gate, and they double as self-service information screens.

The mounted tablets, which TfW calls Station Control Units, give station teams an extra way to operate the gates alongside the existing mobile app, and the help points form part of a wider system for running gatelines remotely.

Most of the noisy work will be done overnight where possible, the operator says, to reduce the impact on passengers and neighbours.

Darren Haynes, TfW’s head of customer operations, said the investment “will significantly improve daily station operations and enhance the passenger experience”.

“These updates are designed to make every journey smoother while equipping our frontline colleagues with modern tools to ensure our stations remain welcoming and accessible for everyone,” he said.

Cardiff Queen Street was first, in the opening week of August, with Rhyl, Chester, Shrewsbury and Newport following through September to 1 October.

There is one small mercy in the timing for Swansea: the installation is due to finish on Friday 28 August, clearing the station’s gates before the August bank holiday weekend.

The upgrades are part of what TfW describes as its ongoing investment in station infrastructure.

Neath goes first, from Monday 17 August; Swansea’s turn comes the week after.