Ticket Office Closure Consultation

[whole diary]

[TonyK]

Worth a read..................
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2023/sep/26/tragic-death-of-the-ticket-office-the-inhuman-isolating-change-that-could-ruin-train-travel

..............summed up in this brief extract:

"In developing our proposal to modernise and update our stations, we have focused on delivering improvements for our customers,” says Claire Mann, the managing director of South Western Railway (SWR^» (South Western Railway - about)), which runs Ryde Esplanade station. Nothing to do with reducing staff numbers at stations to save money, then. The train operators say that ticket office staff can be retrained and moved to a new, multiskilled role, while SWR “can offer a customer service that aligns with what customers actually want and need, in line with their expectations from modern retailing”.

None of the customers I meet today say that closing the ticket office is what they want or need, or that it is in line with their retailing expectations. On the contrary, they call the decision “disgusting”, “ridiculous”, “gutting”, “inhuman”, “isolating”, “diabolical”, “ageist”, “ableist” and “heartbreaking”.

The usual meaningless double-speak waffle from TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) senior management !!!

I'm not quite sure what you expect from a consultation. Most are done after a decision has been made. My previous employer, DWP, used to consult on changes to procedures or benefits, most of these exercises being along the lines of "We wanted to open a meaningful consultation about your execution next Tuesday morning". In this case, the TOCs are doubtless being guided by the government, the latter valuing the deniable plausibility, and if the station's ticket office closes, you can't use somebody else's station instead. The last bank is closing in Bodmin soon, with last night's TV report finding the inevitable pensioner who likes to cash a cheque there once a week and pay the leccy bill, but that won't change any minds. Sorry, we aren't staffing a branch for half a dozen refuseniks, there are alternatives. Nobody else uses it, because it's easier to pay for your double decaf latte with cucumber syrup* by tapping your phone than by spending Friday lunchtime every week in a queue at the bank. The same is happening at stations. There are alternatives, including paying on the train. Some say foreign tourists will be confused, but I managed in Japan easily enough, and there weren't even signs in an alphabet I recognised. And I'm a pensioner.

(* I don't know either)

[Red Squirrel]

...There are alternatives, including paying on the train.

But alternatives don't form part of the consultation, do they? Nor does simplifying the fares system so that people without a PhD in Train Fares can confidently choose the best ticket.

[Clan Line]

.................... I'm a pensioner.

So am I Tony...............and I don't disagree with a word you say ! We all have to move with the times, I use my mobile phone for lots of things that not long ago I would have probably railed against.............the only time I use cash now is in the "dinosaur" supermarkets that expect me to put a pound coin in their trolley.

But what really infuriates me, and I dare say many others, is the pure clap trap trotted out by senior management in TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company), Banks, Supermarkets, Pharmacies, Doctors, Councils, etc, etc, etc, when they announce "changes" (ie: closures) in the service that they purport to provide. The example quoted in the Guardian, from Claire Mann, is an absolute classic of its genre.

 "can offer a customer service that aligns with what customers actually want and need, in line with their expectations from modern retailing”.   
I got an immediate full house on my b******t bingo card from her full quote 

Pure unadulterated junk ! Does she really believe what she is saying - even worse, does she really think that rail passengers will swallow that ?? If she actually does - why are we (via taxpayer subsidy) paying her a six figure salary to spout such rubbish

Is it too difficult to tell the truth ? .............."We are closing the ticket offices because they are not paying their way, too few people are using them. Because the Unions would all go on strike over redundancies we are going to pay the ex ticket office staff to stand on the platform to try and help would-be passengers to use our extremely limited capability and user unfriendly self-service machines".

I'm off to Tesco now to see if they can offer me some "modern retailing that is in line with my expectations"....................

[grahame]

...There are alternatives, including paying on the train.

But alternatives don't form part of the consultation, do they? Nor does simplifying the fares system so that people without a PhD in Train Fares can confidently choose the best ticket.

On "Ticket office closures" - no reference to closures by name at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s timetable briefing on Wednesday but rather a reference to "modernisation of [station] staff practises" did get a mention.   It strikes me that a marketing machine may be in action here!

[Clan Line]

"modernisation of [station] staff practises".........................QED !

Half a line on my next "b******t bingo card already.............

[ChrisB]

...There are alternatives, including paying on the train.

But alternatives don't form part of the consultation, do they?

Hmmm. I think they might. On GWRs^▸ (Great Western Railway) consultation document, (the all GWR stations detail) they do indicate which alternative option(s) will be available for various products. So your response could include those options (Indeed, mine did)

[GBM]

Apologies if this has already been posted.
https://ukparliament.shorthandstories.com/cet-railway-ticket-offices/index.html?utm_campaign=0923-cet-railticket&utm_medium=email&utm_source=petcom&utm_term=petitioners#

On Wednesday 13 September, there were two items of Parliamentary business on railway ticket office closures in the House of Commons:

A Westminster Hall debate
An oral evidence session
This article has links to watch each item, read the transcripts, and access relevant Parliamentary research.

[TonyK]

So am I Tony...............and I don't disagree with a word you say ! We all have to move with the times, I use my mobile phone for lots of things that not long ago I would have probably railed against.............the only time I use cash now is in the "dinosaur" supermarkets that expect me to put a pound coin in their trolley.

You mean you don't have one of these?


Time to get with it! I have also seen those blue tokens used for nominating your favoured charity* stuck in the coin slots on trolleys.

(*I am so even handed that I always take three tokens, one for each slot.)

[Clan Line]

Oh............................is that what those things are for ?? 





On that subject - a good pub quiz question:  How many times do the words "one pound" appear on a £1 coin   (no cheating now !!)

[grahame]

From The Mirror

EXCLUSIVE: Rail ticket offices 'in line to be spared' as watchdogs want bosses to agree to changes
The Daily Mirror is fighting to block the mass closure of 974 ticket officers across England, highlighting the impact on passengers, especially the elderly, and disabled

ByGraham Hiscott Head of Business, 18:11, 22 Oct 2023, UPDATED18:54, 22 OCT 2023

Watchdogs are poised to block mass closure of rail ticket offices unless train companies make last-minute changes.

Train operating companies have put forward proposals to shut 974 ticket offices across England to save money. Passenger watchdogs Transport Focus and London Travelwatch are due to announce whether to approve or object to the controversial plans on October 31.

[grahame]

And from The BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)

Plans to close most railway ticket offices in England to save money "go too far, too fast", MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament) have warned.

In a letter to the rail minister, the Transport Committee said the proposals risk "excluding some passengers from the railway".

The plans, which are yet to be approved, have sparked concern from unions and disability groups.

The government said whatever changes the industry makes, it must maintain a high quality service.

The closure plans have been put forward by train operating companies. Operators are under pressure from the government to cut costs after being supported heavily during the Covid pandemic, and argue only 12% of tickets are now bought at station kiosks.

The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, said that the companies had worked with customers and accessibility groups "to ensure that all passengers are supported".

Currently around three out of every five stations has a ticket office, although some are only staffed part time. Under the proposals, most would close.

Some ticket kiosks would remain in large stations, but elsewhere staff would be on concourses to sell tickets, offer travel advice and help people with accessibility.

I am beginning to get the feeling that some ticket offices will remain - with individual decisions based on a variety of factors such as numbers of tickets sold, size of the local protest, and size of the local constituency majorities.

"and argue only 12% of tickets are now bought at station kiosks" ... maybe, but I wonder what the figure would be if station ticket offices were open when people wanted to buy tickets there?    My post earlier today shows Westbury ticket office is open for 37.5 hours per week now, down from 67 hours.  Does it make any difference to ticket sales from a ticket office if the ticket office isn't actaully open?

"The government said whatever changes the industry makes, it must maintain a high quality service." How is "high quality service" defined in this case, and do the current sporadic hours and closures when the office is contracted to be open count as "high quality"?

"elsewhere staff would be on concourses to sell tickets" ... OK ... but my understanding is that "elsewhere" as proposed is likely to be very limited indeed, and not at any GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) stations.

Retaining some ticket offces, if it happens, will be heralded as a victory for passenger groups, and a sign of an elected government response to the electorate and asking to be given another five years. 

[TonyK]

I hereby change my mind on the matter completely, and pay tribute to the stalwarts manning the ticket office at Tiverton Parkway. I rocked up to the TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) at said station to collect my tickets including for the first part of the journey on the train that had just left Exeter St Davids. I put my card in the slot, typed in the reference, and got a message along the lines of "Sorry, do I know you?". Second attempt including a careful check of each individual character of my booking reference resulted in a complete shutdown.  Thankfully, the lady at the counter planning a multi-stop tour of all UK^▸ (United Kingdom) stations without a letter T in the name recognised my state of desperation, and stood aside for a moment. The chap had my tickets done within the minute, including the one only valid on that train (£21 to Grantham isn't bad). As I left to join the train now pulling in, the lady resumed her quest. "Next, I thought Poulton-le-Fylde. Wait, that has a T, I'll start again..."

They have their cross to bear, for sure, but I'm backing them now, even if I will still try the ATM^‡(resolve) first.

[AMLAG]

I trust you will relay to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Feedback your unsatisfactory (but widespread) experiences of the Ticket machine at Tiverton Parkway and the resultant excellent service you received from,
I suspect,  the regular, long serving and willing booking office railwayman.

[CyclingSid]

I got the impression of "sloping shoulders" by the government. Nothing to do with us mate. About par for the current situation.

[rogerw]

The government has already publicly denied in involvement in its response to a petition.
The Government has responded to the petition you signed – “Require train operators keep ticket offices and platform staff at train stations”.
Government responded:
The rail industry has consulted on plans to modernise to provide the service passengers deserve, moving staff from behind ticket office screens to provide help and advice in customer-focused roles.
Together with the rail industry, we want to improve and modernise the experience for passengers by moving staff out from behind the ticket office screens to provide more help and advice in customer-focused roles in the station. No currently staffed station will become unstaffed as a result of this reform, with staff still being there to provide assistance and additional support at stations for those who need and want it. This would include providing assistance in purchasing tickets and providing customer information. When consulting, train operators were required to follow the rules set out in the rail industry’s Ticketing and Settlement Agreement (TSA^▸ (Ticketing and Settlement Agreement.)), and the Government has no role unless objections are referred to the Secretary of State for a decision. We do not therefore plan to require train operators to keep ticket offices and platform staff at train stations.
There has been a significant shift in the way passengers purchase tickets, with just one in every ten transactions taking place at a ticket office in 2022/23, down from one in three a decade earlier. This is equivalent to 13% of revenue in 2022/23. Train operators have therefore consulted on proposals to close ticket offices and move staff out onto stations where they can provide support to passenger where this is needed.

The public consultations on proposed ticket office changes have now closed. The independent passenger bodies, Transport Focus and London TravelWatch, are engaging with train operators on the basis of the consultation responses they have received and the criteria they have set out on how they will consider their responses. Train operators are expected to work collaboratively with passenger bodies in the coming weeks to listen to the concerns raised and to refine their proposals accordingly.

Should ticket offices close following this process, staff would be redeployed and multi-skilled in order to provide advice and assistance across stations. Exact arrangements will vary operator by operator and will be the subject of collective bargaining with the trade unions. 
Department for Transport
This is a revised response. The Petitions Committee requested a response which more directly addressed the request of the petition. You can find the original response towards the bottom of the petition page https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/636542