The Ticket Collector was on duty at Manchester's Victoria Station when Gail Tilsley was there to board a train to Liverpool in 1990. Gail was planning to have an abortion in Liverpool, but the baby's father Martin Platt caught her at the station in time, having been informed of her pregnancy by Kevin Webster. Not wanting Martin to feel tied to her, Gail ignored his assurance that he would stand by her and got on the train anyway. After being prevented from following her by the ticket collector, Martin purchased a ticket and boarded the train.