Ticket Office closures - Penny wise, Pound foolish? = Railfuture press release

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Railfuture press release, just received:


Ticket Office closures - Penny wise, Pound foolish?
A botched implementation will cost the taxpayer – and passengers

Railfuture has serious concerns that the much speculated ticket office closure programme expected from the Government will be bad for passengers, the taxpayer – and rail staff.

“As taxpayers, we are naturally keen on value for money, and rail staff with the single role of selling an occasional rail ticket isn’t the best use of their time or our money.  But, its an emotive subject, and we can see why.”  said Railfuture director Neil Middleton, who leads on fares and tickets. “It’s emotive because there are only vague words along the lines of ‘It’ll be alright on the night’. There needs to be a proper commitment to the new world which guarantees staff at stations for at least as long as at present, for the continued ability to buy tickets from rail staff as is currently available.  In one sense, the ‘ticket office’ is a side show – the important issue is the people inside them – making the best possible use of their skills and energy to help passengers, with the training and resources they will need to do this.

“Yes, many travellers prefer to buy their tickets online – indeed it’s my own preference – and I personally prefer e-tickets.  But that’s not for everyone – many rail travellers don’t have the option to buy online and may well not own a smartphone, so it’s essential that in-person purchase remains an option.

“Yes, encourage more self-service – but don’t force it.  If this change drives passengers off the trains, then we’ll all be worse off – even though there may be a cost saving (penny wise), if fewer passengers are on the trains it is very easy to see that income will reduce (pound foolish).  Yes, it may be more expensive to sell to the 12% of travellers who buy in-person – but is it really a good idea to give up all of the fare of a traveller who decides not to travel by train in order to save some of the cost?”

Chris Page, chair of Railfuture went on to say “We know in-person ticket purchase is the expensive option for the rail industry.  Whilst for some travellers it will remain the only choice, for others, they buy in-person because rail ticketing is so complex  - the Independent Rail Retailers Association recently reported that there are 2,822 ticket types on National Rail, with 901 names and 665 restriction codes (note 1). Faced with that complexity, regular cries for help are inevitable. The glacial pace of ticketing reform needs to pick up speed considerably.”

Neil went on to comment “We don't oppose change, but it must result in services that are more appealing to passengers. Ticket office staff relocated to the platform can help passengers in so many ways – providing information and helping passengers on to trains – and selling tickets of course.”

 “The alternatives to in-person ticket sales need to be made much better – why can’t products like ChatGPT be used to interpret natural language requests from passengers – ‘I want to go from Stevenage to Leeds next Wednesday, arriving by 10am; I want to come back sometime early evening’.  A proper fares engine, that covers every fare, including split tickets could come back to the passenger with a choice of journey times and fares for the morning and offer a choice of fares specific to each train and a flexible fare as well”.

Railfuture is developing its tests for the consultation.  The proposal can “be good” if it includes promises that:
1. Passengers can still buy tickets from a staff member all the times they can now – and that this right is protected in the same way that ticket office hours are now
2. There is an increase in staffed hours at stations.
3. There is better passenger assistance because there will now be more staff on the platform or gateline.
4. There is significant investment to improve self-service – above all to build confidence for online passengers and the convenience of use of e-tickets.
5. That every type of ticket is available online and on TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) – and barriers are removed – eg some TVMs insist on times being chosen for flexible tickets
6. Evidence that ticket simplification is, at last, recognised as an important way to increase confidence in self-service.

[bobm]

Looking at the last paragraph I’d suggest point six is the most important. 

[grahame]

Looking at the last paragraph I’d suggest point six is the most important. 

Yes - let's move ticket simplification from "at least recognised" to "seriously and substantively underway on a fixed timescale" and then - if it's gotten right - other things flow:
* TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) can offer all options
* Self Service routes dramatically improve
* More staff available to help each passenger because fewer are locked into fighting ticketing
* Easy public transport fare and ticket system allowing for diversion at times of disturbance
* Passenger confidence leading to barrier removal  and more people willing to use trains
* An end of "highest fare" publicity and people being put off because system has become sensible
Ah - one can but dream.

[Worcester_Passenger]

I may be unduly cynical, but as far as I can see the proposal to close ticket offices is being done so as to engender strikes which the present Government will use in the forthcoming General Election campaign.

[CyclingSid]

Yes, encourage more self-service – but don’t force it

Which is why Reading has removed all its "new" ticket machines?

[TaplowGreen]

I may be unduly cynical, but as far as I can see the proposal to close ticket offices is being done so as to engender strikes which the present Government will use in the forthcoming General Election campaign.

I don't see the rail strikes being a particularly significant issue either way in the next election, they're proving no more than inconvenient, and in the hierarchy of industrial action it's way behind the NHS, teachers etc. They have become part of the landscape now and aren't getting a lot of coverage - people are just adapting.

If an announcement is made this week on ticket offices and it's as "nuclear" as some are forecasting (personally I would disagree with this course of action), I suspect the Government's line will simply be (with some justification) that the Unions have refused to engage meaningfully on the subject and therefore it's being imposed.

As I've said elsewhere though, don't be surprised if Bruvver Lynch is offered something by way of enabling him to claim some sort of victory to save face (lower than expected number of ticket office closures, slight increase in pay offer) in order to bring it to an end.

Anyway - must get back to ACAS! (if I can find a train that's running!) 

[Bmblbzzz]

For selling tickets, TVMS are at least as good as staff, in most situations. But what they can't do is answer other questions, such as "How do I get to the bus station?" or "I've bought a ticket to Old Newton rather than New Oldton by accident, can I change it or do I have to buy another?". Most importantly, they can't make a station look inhabited.

[ChrisB]

Or sell split tickets....From A to anywhere in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom), yes, but not from B to C.

[JayMac]

I can buy split tickets from my local station's TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine).

What I can't buy though, currently, is Rovers or Rangers.

[PhilWakely]

I can buy split tickets from my local station's TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine).

What I can't buy though, currently, is Rovers or Rangers.

I believe that the TVMs recently installed at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) stations do not offer 'tickets from other stations'.

[Red Squirrel]

I can buy split tickets from my local station's TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine).

What I can't buy though, currently, is Rovers or Rangers.

I was thwarted in my attempt to buy a Celtic at Montpelier the other day. Most disappointing.

[ChrisB]

I can buy split tickets from my local station's TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine).

What I can't buy though, currently, is Rovers or Rangers.

I believe that the TVMs recently installed at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) stations do not offer 'tickets from other stations'.

SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) speciality then - so possibly due for rollout across other TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) shortly

[stuving]

I have a suspicion that the impetus behind closing ticket offices comes in large part from the PRM^▸ (Persons with Reduced Mobility) assistance requirements ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) and DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) have placed on TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company). In particular, having to cope where there is no advance booking/notification needed. The rules allow for a delay before staff can be found, but don't say how long that should be. Any attempt to define that, even a vague one, will show up that there are not now enough staff on platforms to provide this.

So, if ORR & DfT do apply pressure to perform as stated in the PRM rules, TOCs will be faced with needing more staff, not fewer. Being able to move all ticket office staff out of their little glass boxes is the obvious way to do this. All it takes is some digital magic to allow a patrolling staff member to do what now needs a terminal sitting on a counter. Oh, and a simpler fares structure would help (but we can't wait that long can we?). And a lot of retraining. And ...

[JayMac]

I can buy split tickets from my local station's TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine).

What I can't buy though, currently, is Rovers or Rangers.

I was thwarted in my attempt to buy a Celtic at Montpelier the other day. Most disappointing.

What about a Wanderers or Albion? 

[PhilWakely]

I can buy split tickets from my local station's TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine).

What I can't buy though, currently, is Rovers or Rangers.

I believe that the TVMs recently installed at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) stations do not offer 'tickets from other stations'.

SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) speciality then - so possibly due for rollout across other TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) shortly

GWR has only just replaced their TVMs with a cheaper alternative that offers less choice, so probably not. Their previous machines did offer tickets from other stations.