North Yorkshire to Respond to Railway Ticket Office Closure Plans

North Yorkshire Council has confirmed it will make a submission to the review of railway station ticket offices.

The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents the UK's train operating companies announced earlier this month that it was launching a consultation on plans to "modernise customer service across the rail network ", which would effectively mean the closure of most ticket offices at railway stations.

North Yorkshire Council's Executive Member for Transport, Councillor Keane Duncan says, the council is working on an official response to proposals to close most ticket offices at railway stations.

The plans would see staff move out of ticket offices and on to station platforms, concourses and ticket halls, adopting new ‘customer help’ roles.

The train operators, many of whom are now government entities, say the proposals will mean "more face-to-face support available across the network to choose the cheapest tickets and advise on journey planning, as well as support those with accessibility needs"

The Rail industry says bringing customer service roles up to date is long overdue, following "a collapse in numbers of people using ticket offices"

The RDG said:

"The proposals would help bring station retailing up to date from the mid 90’s, when the rules on how to sell tickets were set and before the invention of the smartphone. Back then, 82% of all tickets were sold at ticket offices, compared to just 12% on average today, a downward trend which accelerated during the pandemic. Bringing staff out from offices would allow the railway to respond to that generational shift in customer behaviour, in common with many other industries and organisations that have long since done so such as Transport for London, most airlines and many banks and supermarkets. "

Responding to the announcement a spokesperson for Transport for the North expressed concern that some rail users in the north could be disadvantaged by the proposed changes.:

“We understand that the way people buy tickets is changing and that there needs to be reform. However, this should be done in a holistic way, considering the needs of all station users and local communities.

“We are concerned that the focus on ticket office staffing in isolation of wider investment (for example pay as you go ticketing) could lead to disadvantaging certain passengers and communities. We will be working with our partners on a robust response to the consultation using local evidence and knowledge.

“Patronage growth on the railways in the North is strong, albeit people are choosing to travel at different times for different purposes. Done correctly, we can ensure that reform supports growth and the needs of all passengers. But it must not be to the disadvantage of any station users, especially in regards to accessibility and safety.”

Councillor Duncan says access to trains is essential for many people in the county.

Scarborough’s Labour candidate Alison Hume says she has written to the Transport Secretary, highlighting the town’s deep concerns over the closure of the rail ticket office.

Alison Hume said:

“The government announced there would be a consultation before a final decision. In reality they’ve given the public just three weeks to lodge their opposition,”

“I called in to Scarborough ticket office only to find they’d not been provided with paper copies of the consultation and the only way to take part would be to scan a QR code. This in no way could be described as a democratic consultation process.”

Alison Hume says she has been canvassing local residents for their views and she says there’s widespread concern.

“In particular elderly and disabled residents are very worried,”.

“Many tell me they don’t have smart phones or access to the internet so how will they book public transport in the future? In addition, we’re looking at more job losses and the removal of yet another service relied upon by passengers needing help to plan their journeys.”

“Research by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has found that only 3% of people with sight loss said they could use a ticket vending machine without problems and 58% said it was impossible,”

"I’ve therefore written to the Transport Secretary Mark Harper asking for assurances on the safety and accessibility of the rail network for disabled and elderly passengers whilst also wanting to know what will happen to the rail staff currently deployed in the rail ticket office in Scarborough, what will the impact be on their job security and when will digital and pay as you go ticketing technology be available across the whole of the rail network?”

 Jacqueline Starr, Rail Delivery Group chief executive, said:

“The ways our customers buy tickets has changed and it’s time for the railway to change with them. With just 12% of tickets being sold from ticket offices last year, and 99% of those transactions being available on TVMs or online, our proposals would mean more staff on hand on 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.

“Our commitment is that we will always treat our staff, who are hugely valued and integral to the experience our customers have on the railway, fairly, with support and extra training to move into new more engaging roles. We also understand that our customers have differing needs, which is why the industry widely sought the views of accessibility and passenger groups when creating these proposals, and will continue to through the consultation. We encourage those who wish to take part to go to their local train company website or visit Transport Focus or London Travelwatch.”