The Tory government, in the final throes of its catastrophic administration, has decided to end its days in a headlong battle with the rail unions, after imposing the closure of almost all of England’s station ticket offices.
Staff cuts: even some of the busiest stations will have their ticket offices closed under the Tory government plans
The move has been opposed by passenger and disability groups, as well as the rail unions, and has been broadly criticised by transport experts and railway executives.
Around 1,000 railways stations in England will be affected, with the first ticket office closures expected by this Christmas in a three-year programme.
The plans from the Department for Transport were first exposed by the Association of British Commuters a fortnight ago.
Someone from the DfT today lied when they told news agencies said that the proposals were “not about cutting jobs”.
Transport expert Christian Wolmar said, “Ticket office closures will not save money as revenue will be lost and staff are needed. Ticket machines are not fit for purpose.”
Wolmar said, “Until the pandemic, train operators were responsible for paying for ticket offices and closed very few judging they were economically worthwhile. Now ministers with no commercial background are taking the opposite view.”
The government-instigated move is supposed to be a cost-cutting measure, as passenger numbers have never recovered after the covid lockdown and are at their lowest since 2002, with revenue 30per cent below 2020 levels.
The move was confirmed this morning by the Rail Delivery Group, with railway staff told of the plan to close almost all of the 1,007 remaining offices, except at the busiest stations, within three years.
The RDG said ticket office staff would move on to station platforms and concourses in “new and engaging roles”. Which is nice.
Speaking out: Mick Lynch of the RMT
But many fear job losses, with any guarantees offered over compulsory redundancies in pay talks set to expire at the end of next year.
The RMT union said it was “a savage attack on railway workers, their families and the travelling public” and claimed operators had issued hundreds of statutory redundancy notices to staff.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “It is clear that the whole enterprise of closing ticket offices has got nothing to do with modernisation and is a thinly veiled plan to gut our railways of station staff.”
Train operators said there were no redundancy notices, but it is understood that Section188 letters – informing unions and staff that posts were at risk – have been sent.
The train operators are directly contracted by the government and have been told to find savings to bridge the gap in revenue, with fare income in decline with the decline in commuting amid a switch to hybrid working patterns.
Train operators have been embroiled in industrial disputes with the unions for the past year, but as The Guardian reported this morning, “the government has pushed rail firms into moving ahead with controversial reform, with little headway in negotiations and more strikes coming. The RMT and TSSA unions have said they will ‘vigorously oppose’ the proposals.”
The future: closures are planned at almost all railway stations in England
Today marked the start of an abrupt three-week formal consultation period.
Passengers have been urged to make their voices heard through the independent watchdogs Transport Focus and London TravelWatch.
The Royal National Institute of Blind People said the closures would have a “hugely detrimental impact on blind and partially sighted people’s ability to buy tickets, arrange assistance and, critically, travel independently”.
The Green Party said it was a “needless fight” instigated by a “government that does not care about people who use public transport to get around”.
The RDG chief executive, Jacqueline Starr, said: “The ways our customers buy tickets has changed and it’s time for the railway to change with them.
“With just 12per cent of tickets being sold from ticket offices last year, and 99per cent of those transactions being available on ticket vending machines or online, 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.”
It is the government that will decided which ticket offices will close. At present, around 60per cent of has a ticket office, although some are only staffed part-time.
Rail chief: Jacqueline Starr
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.
Peter Pendle, from the TSSA rail union, said the government would “soon realise that the public have no desire to see their rail network diminished in this way”.
Stewart Palmer, is a director of Rail Future, with 38 years of working on the railways, including as a former managing director South West Trains. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, he said: “One of the root causes of this issue is that the present ticketing system on the rail network in Britain is mind-bogglingly complicated.
“People want versatile, knowledgeable staff, not necessarily behind a glass screen, but they also want to be knowing they’re buying the right product at the right price.”
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