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grahame
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« on: July 04, 2023, 19:19:22 » |
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66097850?at_medium=RSS▸ &at_campaign=KARANGATrain companies are planning to press ahead with mass closures of ticket offices across England.
Industry bosses are expected to confirm a public consultation on the gradual closures of hundreds of ticket kiosks over the next three years on Wednesday.
Some will remain in large stations, but elsewhere staff will be on concourses to sell tickets, offer travel advice and help people with accessibility.
Rail unions are opposed to the plans and have warned of further strikes.
About three out of every five stations has a ticket office.
The move to begin a consultation on the future of ticket offices has been made by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG‡), which represents train companies, after talks with the RMT▸ union failed to reach an agreement.
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« Last Edit: October 23, 2023, 06:57:43 by grahame »
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Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member
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ChrisB
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« Reply #1 on: July 04, 2023, 19:22:12 » |
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BBC» Radio stations have been lining up voxpops for 11am onwards tomorrow.....
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #2 on: July 04, 2023, 20:53:18 » |
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85% of tickets purchased from ticket offices in 1995, 12% in 2023.
This is going to be a very hard argument for the Unions to win on any level.
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ChrisB
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« Reply #3 on: July 04, 2023, 21:02:42 » |
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Accessibility is the strongest argument against.
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PhilWakely
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« Reply #4 on: July 04, 2023, 21:14:09 » |
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85% of tickets purchased from ticket offices in 1995, 12% in 2023.
This is going to be a very hard argument for the Unions to win on any level.
One statistic that is conveniently forgotten is the significant number of tickets purchased online or at a TVM▸ that are purchased incorrectly and corrected at the ticket office (" I bought a single but meant to buy a return, can you change it please?"). |
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ChrisB
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« Reply #5 on: July 04, 2023, 21:33:07 » |
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What is that statistic please?
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froome
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« Reply #6 on: July 04, 2023, 22:10:07 » |
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I have probably said this before, but I really don't understand the reasoning for the proposed closure of ticket offices. It says the staff would instead be on concourses, selling tickets, offering advice and help with accessibility. All of those can, and are, done by staff in the ticket offices, most of which are just staffed by one person at a time in the smaller town stations that will undoubtedly be the ones that are closed. So what is the saving being made? The ticket office room will still exist, and in most cases can't really be used for other purposes. The staff will still exist, doing the same job, but in less comfortable working conditions.
I'm trying to imagine how closing the ticket office in stations like Trowbridge or Bradford-on-Avon saves the train company any substantial outgoings, and how it helps passengers in any way at all.
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PhilWakely
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« Reply #7 on: July 04, 2023, 22:17:46 » |
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What is that statistic please?
I don't think any 'official' statistic is recorded, but anecdotal evidence from a couple of my local ticket offices suggest that as many as 15-20% of ticket office conversations result in either a ticket being changed or the customer referred back to the online retailer. |
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rogerw
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« Reply #8 on: July 05, 2023, 10:40:24 » |
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TVMs▸ do not sell the full range of tickets, and if you can purchase on line, often 7 days notice is required plus a postage fee.
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I like to travel. It lets me feel I'm getting somewhere.
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ray951
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« Reply #9 on: July 05, 2023, 10:49:53 » |
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85% of tickets purchased from ticket offices in 1995, 12% in 2023.
This is going to be a very hard argument for the Unions to win on any level.
12% is still a lot of tickets and revenue, has anybody asked these passengers why they don't use online or ticket machines? And I would hazard a guess that some of them will never use online or ticket machines so are the railways prepared to lose more revenue? and will that revenue be greater than any 'cost saving'? This would also mean that you could no longer buy a ticket with cash, what about children and others who don't have a debit card? |
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ChrisB
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« Reply #10 on: July 05, 2023, 10:59:13 » |
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ChrisB
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« Reply #11 on: July 05, 2023, 11:19:08 » |
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old original
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« Reply #12 on: July 05, 2023, 11:38:03 » |
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My thoughts with cuts and pastings from the BBC» report... Train companies are pressing ahead with plans to close hundreds of station ticket offices across England over the next three years.There's a general election halfway through that timescale so what's the chance something could appear in certain party's manifestos (not that any of those are worth the paper they're printed on). A 21-day public consultation has been launched to collect passengers' views.I hesitate to suggest but like most consultations, any views will quietly be ignored "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."The RDG‡ said across the network as a whole there would be more staff available than there are todayThere will not be any more staff giving face-to-face help for journey planning or finding the right ticket because they are already doing that. Assisting with accessibilty needs could, though, benefit from more flexible staffing arrangements but I cannot see TOCs▸ increasing staffing levels overall. I would argue that over time numbers would actually fall Under the plans, if a passenger was unable to purchase a ticket, they would be able to buy one during the journey, at a ticket office en-route or at their destination, the RDG said."...at a Ticket office en-route or at their destination"  Haven't they just proposed to close most of them? |
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8 Billion people on a wet rock - of course we're not happy
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IndustryInsider
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« Reply #13 on: July 05, 2023, 11:45:30 » |
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I’m unable to verify the source, but I’ve seen this spreadsheet posted today covering current/proposed head counts at GWR▸ stations. A third of staff going…there’s where your savings are coming from!
It’s no surprise the unions will fight this with whatever might they still have, even if, I think we all agree, some ticket offices should close.
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To view my GWML▸ Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/ |
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ChrisB
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« Reply #14 on: July 05, 2023, 12:11:09 » |
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From the GWR▸ FAQs▸ on closures.... Two-thirds – 60% – of GWR stations don’t have staff or a ticket office, with 48% of stations staffed on a part-time basis. Interesting percentages there   And so what % are fully staffed then?  |
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