Councillors from all parties condemned plans by new rail franchise holder East Midlands Trains to introduce automatic ticket barriers at the station as a way of cracking down on fare dodging.

The barriers would prevent people walking through the station into the city centre - especially from the Sheffield Hallam University tramstop behind the station.

Labour leader Jan Wilson told a meeting of the full council the station provided an open route into the city centre for people living in the Park Hill area. She said: "There has been huge public investment in the station both internally and externally - the internal improvements alone cost £16 million, to which the council made a contribution.

"We need to find an alternative which, while reducing ticketless travel, still allows access through the station."

Coun Bryan Lodge, seconding the Labour motion, said the route through the station was used by students from Castle College, All Saints School and Hallam University, as well as many tram passengers coming into the city to work.

Green councillor Robert Murphy said: "It is a shame the public does not own the station - it is bad for the community and bad for democracy. It is time to bring the railways back into public ownership."

Council leader Paul Scriven said while he supported the principle of checking tickets, he was totally opposed to gating the station.

He added: "The footbridge provides pedestrians with a safe, well-lit, secure route between the city centre and the Park Hill and Norfolk Park areas of the city."



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