A large portion of railway station ticket offices in England will close following an industry announcement.
Industry body the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) unveiled proposals which could result in nearly all offices being shut while only those at the busiest stations will remain open. It's part of a move to "modernise customer service" while the industry faces increased pressure from the government to save money following dips in revenue caused by the Covid pandemic.
It is understood train companies across England will begin passenger consultations in relation to the ticket office closures. Meanwhile, trade unions and disability groups have expressed outrage over the move, fearing it could lead to job losses and could neglect some vulnerable passengers.
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Transport Salaried Staffs Association interim general secretary Peter Pendle said: “We are clear the Government will face strong opposition from this union on the totally unnecessary mass closure of ticket offices. Ministers will soon realise that the public have no desire to see their rail network diminished in this way.”
The RDG noted that 12 per cent of train tickets are bought form offices at stations, a dramatic decrease from 82 per cent in 1995. Vivienne Francis, chief social change officer at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), said: “A mass closure of rail ticket offices would have a hugely detrimental impact on blind and partially sighted people’s ability to buy tickets, arrange assistance and, critically, travel independently.
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“RNIB research shows that only 3% of people with sight loss said they could use a ticket vending machine without problems and 58% said it was impossible.”
Neil Middleton, director at pressure group Railfuture, urged the industry to “encourage more self-service but don’t force it”. He said: “If this change drives passengers off the trains, then we’ll all be worse off.
“Even though there may be a cost saving, if fewer passengers are on the trains it is very easy to see that income will reduce.” RDG chief executive Jacqueline Starr said: “The ways our customers buy tickets has changed and it’s time for the railway to change with them.
“With just 12% of tickets being sold from ticket offices last year, and 99% of those transactions being available on TVMs (ticket vending machines) or online, our proposals would mean more staff on hand to give face-to-face help with a much wider range of support, from journey planning, to finding the right ticket and helping those with accessibility needs.
“Our commitment is that we will always treat our staff, who are hugely valued and integral to the experience our customers have on the railway, fairly, with support and extra training to move into new more engaging roles. We also understand that our customers have differing needs, which is why the industry widely sought the views of accessibility and passenger groups when creating these proposals, and will continue to through the consultation.
“We encourage those who wish to take part to go to their local train company website or visit Transport Focus or London TravelWatch.”
