Train operators have proposed changes to, and closures of, the majority of rail station ticket offices in England. As part of the consultation Transport Focus wants to hear your views to understand how the changes will impact you. Great Western Railway manages the Frome station and is proposing to close the ticket office between October 2023 and June 2024 and ‘move ticket office staff into other areas of the station where they can help more customers’ – please see here (GWR). 

The consultation has now been extended to 1st September – see here (Frome Nub News)- please see here and go to the consultation response form here (Transport Focus). 

A campaign led by the RMT union is encouraging people to object, because passengers would no longer have widespread and easy access to services and best value fares, it would increase barriers to disabled and older travellers, would reduce the quality of service and passenger safety, and make station staff more likely to be made redundant in future  if the ticket office closures went ahead. There is a template letter you can use – see https://act.newmode.net/action/trades-union-congress/save-your-great-western-railway-ticket-offices. 

Please also see Frome Town Council’s response here.

The RMT’s campaign letter template is copied below:

Dear Transport Focus & London Travelwatch,

I am writing to express my objections to the proposed closure of ticket offices at Great Western Railway and have set out below why I believe these ticket office closures, and any cuts to ticket office hours, must be rejected.

Widespread and easy access to the purchase of rail products

I strongly believe that passengers would no longer have widespread and easy access to the purchase of rail products and best value fares if the ticket offices closures went ahead.

There is substantial demand for the ticket office. While the Government says that ‘only’ 12% of tickets are sold at ticket offices, in 2022/23, there were 1.5 billion passenger journeys, which equates to around 180 million journeys being facilitated by ticket offices.

There are a range of products and services available at the ticket office, which may not be available from Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs). This includes refunds, season ticket changes, ranger and rover tickets, ferry/bus connections, park and ride, group save, disabled persons discount, season tickets over one month in length, advance fares, rail card purchases, off-peak tickets before 9.30am, changes to ticket classes, seat reservations, cycle reservations, photocards for season tickets, scholar tickets, sleeper bookings and car parking.

Using TVMs is a one-sided process, there is no interaction between customer and retailer like there is in the ticket office. In contrast, ticket office staff can ask customers questions about their journey and requirements to ensure they get the right ticket for their journey and can offer a range of routes and classes.

Many TVMs do not take cash, or permit a part cash, part card payment. Given that people on lower incomes and older and disabled people are more likely to use cash, these groups stand to be disproportionately affected by ticket office closures and may find it difficult to travel as a result.

Unlike ticket office staff, TVMs do not automatically offer passengers the cheapest ticket for their journey, or clearly explain restrictions on certain fares, such as operator-specific tickets. Indeed, there is no requirement in the DfT’s Schedule 17 guidance for TVMs to offer all fares. This risks passengers losing widespread and easy access to a range of products and fares.

Facilities and support for passengers with disabilities/accessibility or other equalities related needs

Ticket office closures would cause a significant worsening of the facilities and support offered to disabled, Deaf and older people. Already, disabled people face numerous barriers in accessing the rail network and are three times less likely to travel by rail than non-disabled people. Twenty-two percent of the population had a disability in 2020/2 and since 2002/3 the number of people reporting a disability has increased by 3.8million (+35%).

I understand that there has been overwhelming opposition to ticket office closures from disabled people’s organisations, including Disability Rights UK, National Federation of the Blind UK, Transport for All, RNIB, RNID, Guide Dogs, Scope, Thomas Pocklington Trust, Winvisble, Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People and the MS Society.

The presence of staff is vital for ensuring the railway is accessible to all. At many stations ticket office staff are the only staff present, and their responsibilities often include assisting passengers on to trains, including with ramps where required and meeting them off the train. TVMs are not accessible for many disabled people, the functionality is poor and there is no interaction, unlike in the ticket office. Disabled people are much less likely than non-disabled people to have access to the internet, and therefore online ticketing is not accessible for many.

Quality of Service

Ticket offices provide passengers with dedicated advice and expertise about their journey and onward travel. They can tailor their service to meet their customers’ needs in a way that TVMs or online ticketing is unable to. At many stations access to facilities such as toilets, disabled toilets, waiting rooms and lifts is dependent on ticket office staff.

Having ‘roving’ staff, no longer based in the ticket office, not only makes them more difficult to locate, which is particularly problematic for many disabled and older people, but also diminishes their ability to give tailored and one-on-one advice.

Safety at station for passengers

Staffed ticket offices have an important role in supporting passenger safety and security. Ticket offices provide a place of safety for both staff and passengers. Requiring staff to undertake transactions out on the platform puts both passengers and themselves in a more vulnerable position.

Ticket office staff are trained and experienced in dealing with difficult incidents and the presence of staff deters abusive and anti-social behaviour.

Ticket office staff provide support and assistance to passengers during times of disruption or in response to emergencies and their role often includes carrying out safety and security checks at the station throughout the day.

As the passenger watchdogs will be aware, there is a consistent theme emerging from research, which is that passengers like and value the presence of staff. Having staffed ticket offices supports passenger perceptions and feelings around safety, and closing ticket offices could lead to passengers no longer feeling safe when travelling.

Cost effectiveness

It is difficult to see how train operators would be able to demonstrate that their proposals would make cost savings, unless there is the intention to reduce staffing. I am wholly opposed to any cuts to station staffing and believe any supposed cost savings cannot be used to justify a policy that will worsen passenger service, accessibility, safety, security and access to rail products.

I also believe that ticket office closures will be counterproductive in terms of revenue, as it would disincentivize rail travel for many. Already disabled people are much less likely to travel by rail, and there is the real risk that many people will not be able to travel by rail at all if these closures go ahead. Surely the rail industry cannot afford to lose the circa 180 million annual journeys which are facilitated by the ticket office?

Future monitoring of change

I am concerned that the Government and train operators have given no commitment that staffing numbers will not reduce as a result of ticket office closures.

It is also of significant concern that if ticket offices are closed, there would no longer be any statutory regulation of staffing provision at stations and the passenger watchdogs would have no formal role in monitoring this. Undoubtedly this will lead to reduced staffing provision at stations.

Ultimately, for the reasons set out above, I believe Transport Focus and London Travelwatch must reject all the proposals to close ticket offices at Great Western Railway.

Sincerely,
[your name will go here]
[your email address will go here] [your location will go here]

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