To think they shouldn’t close 1,000 rail ticket offices?

[TiredArse]

Latest plan to ‘improve’ the railways. Up to 1,000 will close.

We’ll be left with those shitty, self service machines that are a pain to use on a good day. Got a disability or struggle to use a machine? Tough shit. Got a query? Tough shit.

Does anyone actually believe that the money saved will reduce fares or improve services?

You can fill in the consultation form here - not easy to see, you have to click on the words ‘consultation response form’. https://www.transportfocus.org.uk/train-station-ticket-office-consultation/

Also, Trainline charges a surcharge for using it while the local train company websites generally don’t (and will sell you a ticket for their competitors’ trains without a problem)

Anyone who uses the trains seldom enough that they are still using Trainline would save money at a ticket office - that opportunity is being taken away from them.

There are already huge numbers of unstaffed stations, and have been for a few decades now. Were you worried 20 years ago?

Or is it just that now these types of things are affecting city dwellers and they don't like living how everyone else has had to live for the past 20-30 years??

@badluckorbadvibes

The people who NEED these staff are the people we are fighting for.

We you fighting 20-30 years ago when unstaffed stations started to happen more widely? Our local station lost it's ticket office and all platform staff in the mid 90s. Everyone in our town has managed perfectly well ever since - they've had to. Those who can't use apps/websites just pay on the train.

The local council got some funding to help improve a long unmanned station locally. It now has usable function rooms, ticket office & waiting room, is planted beautifully and is much more used. Before it was somewhere you definitely wouldn't want to be after dark.

No I wasn't fighting then. I don't relent see why that fact would make this fight any less valid though?

I did mention unthread how I can't use the local unstaffed station though, and travel to the nearest town with a bigger, staffed station. So while you say everyone in your place has managed fine since the 90s, maybe they haven't! Have you done a local survey? I could be your neighbour and you would have no idea I don't manage fine.

20-30 years ago most Mumsnetters would've been at school!

I get the train for work (via Manchester Piccadilly and Stockport, as it happens) and haven’t used their ticket office in years. I just buy my tickets on the Trainline app and scan through. Conductors still come along on I’d say 90% of the journeys I’m on to scan tickets. As long as my phone is charged I’m good to go.

Does seem pointless keeping them open when so many people use the ticketing apps these days.

Does seem pointless keeping them open when so many people use the ticketing apps these days.

Only if you consider it pointless that a public service like the railway should be considering that the people who can’t use apps are, generally, among the most vulnerable in society.

Where do I put my cash?

And get through the barrier how?

Into the bank and then use a card?

That seems easy

So you didn't care when it was happening to other people and now only care when it's potentially going to affect you?

What confuses me here - that I can't find the answer to here - is the meaning of 'closed ticket office'.
Do they mean nobody sitting behind counters, selling tickets?
Or nobody selling tickets at the station at all?

The references to 'ticket machines and apps' seem to imply the latter.

As a technologist myself you absolutely cannot rely on apps and ticket machines! Disability aside all of these things have been down at multiple times. But there have always been staff standing around that could sell you tickets with those handheld machines... The kind that they use for train tickets. Keeping them at the station just not behind the counter is fair enough.

Interestingly most buses don't have ticket offices. And trams don't in Greater Manchester. Why the exception, and furore, over trains?

@user1497207191

So you didn't care when it was happening to other people and now only care when it's potentially going to affect you?

Oh, no, it would have affected me back then too - interesting that you think the only possible reason I wasn't fighting for ticket offices 30 years ago is that I didn't care.

That said. Even if that was the case, it would still be valid. It's ok to learn.

My point is that the regions and rural/semi rural areas have been screwed over for decades, but those living in cities didn't care. What with loss of public transport, loss of facilities such as small schools, libraries, small hospitals, and the run down of town centre retail and centralisation of decent jobs into the cities. Not a squeak from city dwellers.

Now that all that is spreading to city centres, there are howls of protest - "how will they cope" etc - well, those in rural/semi rural areas have had to cope, and have found ways to deal with the loss of what city dwellers think is normal.

It's all too late to start squealing now - that's just shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. You should have taken more notice over the past 20-30 years during which politicians have been obsessed with cities at the expense of rural and semi rural areas, just using them as a kind of test-bed to find out how far they can go cutting services etc - they found that they can, so now they're extending it to cities too!

@user1497207191

My point is that the regions and rural/semi rural areas have been screwed over for decades, but those living in cities didn't care.

I take it you haven't actually read my previous posts?

I do not live in a city.

I already have to travel further because my local station is unstaffed.

It means nobody selling tickets at all. Machines and apps only.

I don’t know of any bus or tram stations that have ticket barriers so that’s one massive difference.

I’m over 70 and buy online when I’m travelling out of my county. However, all pensioners in my county are entitled to half price rail travel county wide. Those tickets are not available online or via machines, they have to be bought at the ticket office. Just one example of why closing them will disadvantage some travellers.

It's hard enough for wheelchair users to travel as it is. Imagine all unmanned stations so no-one to put the ramp up to the train door for them.

Barriers don't matter in terms of 'helping vulnerable passengers' - i.e those who wouldn't know how to use the machines, or otherwise get where they're going. At least for buses the driver will tell you if you've got it wrong and help you buy your ticket.

It IS patently ridiculous to rely so much on technology. Unless they let people go for free when it doesn't work. I have had to use a ticket counter because I had no data/WiFi too bad and machine didn't work. It can happen to anyone.

Of course, you could argue that whatever system the 'manned counter' was using could go down too, but presumably people could work something out? What are you supposed to do when faced with just a machine?

Ridiculous.

What do you think already happens at all the unmanned stations?

The guard/train manager puts out the ramp!

Or do you think wheelchair users don't use trains outside the cities and main lines?

During Storm Desmond, our nearest "big town" had widespread power cuts. Their main line train station just shut it's doors and trains didn't stop. So having a "manned" ticket office didn't help one jot. No one could use the station, neither able bodied nor disabled, old nor young.

Barriers don't matter in terms of 'helping vulnerable passengers' - i.e those who wouldn't know how to use the machines, or otherwise get where they're going. At least for buses the driver will tell you if you've got it wrong and help you buy your ticket.

That was my point…

Despite not having ticket points people can still get to buses and trams to get tickets/help from the driver or guards as there are no barriers.

At at unmanned train station they’ll not get that far as so many have barriers.