Following a report that ticket offices can no longer sell the cheapest rail tickets, the RMT rail union has written to Transport Focus calling for an investigation into the claims.
The RMT union believes the claim shows there is a strategy to run down and ultimately close all ticket offices, and that the government and rail companies are exacerbating the process by deliberately preventing ticket offices from selling cheaper rail tickets.
Recently, there have been reports in the media that when passengers buy tickets online or at a ticket machine, they could not access the cheapest fare.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch writes: “You may be aware of recent press reports that the government and rail companies are deliberately preventing ticket offices from selling cheaper rail tickets as part of a strategy for running down and eventually closing all ticket offices.
“Specifically, the report highlights that if passengers wish to purchase cheaper advanced fares, they can no longer do this from a ticket office and will have to use a machine or buy tickets online.
“This is a concern that has also been reported to us by our members working in ticket offices and raised by MPs in parliament  (EDM 683, Withdrawal of Advance Purchase on Departure tickets from Northern Trains ticket offices.)
“Indeed, our members are reporting constant attempts to downgrade ticket offices, including not filling staff vacancies and reducing the number of ticket office windows available.
“Passengers are in effect being used as cannon fodder in the drive to close railway ticket offices.
“Restricting the ability of our members to provide the best service means passengers will not always be able to access the best value fare for their journey. Â This policy also disadvantages passengers who cannot make online purchases or use ticket machines and as such some disabled and elderly passengers could be disproportionally impacted.
“RMT is totally opposed to attempts by rail companies and government to close or degrade ticket offices on the network and in light of these new reports I would be grateful for your confirmation that you will conduct an urgent investigation into how the government’s policy on ticket offices is impacting passengers and that you will also intervene to ensure all passengers can access the best value tickets.”
Responses
I rely on the ticket office for all my train journeys. I am losing my sight and have recently been moved from ‘sight impaired’ to ‘severely sight impaired’ status.
I have always purchased my tickets at the ticket office and I always pay with cash. And with sight loss, the person at I can talk to at the ticket office is the point of contact I rely on to start my journey.
I cannot use the internet on a mobile phone and I would never want to fiddle with a ‘ticket machine’. Nor do I want a ‘ticket’ on a till roll – I want a regular credit sized cardboard ticket that I can easily file and retrieve from my wallet. These systems are not broken – so don’t try to fix a problem that just isn’t there.
It’s not only ticket sales – but journey planning, seat reservations, arranging assistance and refunds etc that ticket offices deal with most efficiently.
If the argument is that these ticket office staff will be “redeployed”, then where is there any saving?
DON’T MESS WITH OUR TICKET OFFICES
I attempted to buy rail tickets online a couple of weeks ago; I selected tickets and filled in the form with personal and bank details. On payment I was instructed to confirm my identity with my bank – a process which requires the use of a smartphone to work efficiently. By the time I’d logged in to my bank using a ‘Digipass’ my online transaction had timed out. So, having logged in, I returned to the train company and tried again. This time I was timed out of my bank account! Fuming, I walked down to our railway station and within five minutes had purchased my selected tickets from a friendly, efficient staff-member for considerably less than the cheapest price available on line!! Closing ticket offices is an appalling idea that will affect so many of us: the disabled; the elderly; those without cars and people who don’t want or can’t afford smartphones. Yet another stage in the drive to isolate us and deprive us of the pleasure of interacting with and helping each other.
This statement by the RMT confirms their luddite mentality.More and more people are buying tickets online or from ticket machine and this trend will continue and increase.You cannot reasonably expect the taxpayers and passengers to pay for a ticket clerk to sit in a ticket office and sell fewer and fewer tickets.This is progress wether you like it or not ( like bank ATMs, internet shopping, self-service machines in supermarkets etc,etc.
The ticket office at Newcastle Central was replaced by two shops about 4 years ago. LNER always have staff on duty to help anyone who has problems using a ticket machine.
Made a journey on Sunday A to C breaking the journey at B on the way back – online can’t plan it, machines are a nightmare whatever you want. Chap at the ticket office sorted us out in less time than it took to ask! Few passengers know all the rules and options, the machines are designed to hide them. the knowledge behind the window is priceless. Oh, and it was a third cheaper than planning it out online! The “tech will fix anything” twaddle comes from people who have never watched a gateline – so many tickets with strips not read, codes that don’t work etc.