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Passengers welcome move to curb closure of rail ticket offices
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent13.01.09
PASSENGER groups today hailed a victory in the battle to stop the mass closure of ticket offices by rail companies across London and the South-East.
They welcomed the decision by transport minister Lord Adonis to order the capital's biggest rail operator, South West Trains, to scale back plans to cut ticket office opening hours at 114 stations. SWT expressed "disappointment" that most of its proposals had been rejected, though more limited reductions in opening hours will be allowed.
Anthony Smith, chief executive of Passenger Focus, said: "This is a victory for the thousands of passengers who stood up and told the Government they didn't want to lose their ticket office staff.
"The Department for Transport has supported our call that train companies can't get away with blanket closures as passengers tell us they need staff for security, journey advice and ticket sales."
Jo deBank, of London TravelWatch, said: "This is a good victory for passengers. They value the human interaction." Unions had warned that if the Government had failed to act, several other train firms would have axed manning at many stations.
The Evening Standard has called for better staffing on the rail network through its Safer Stations campaign.
The transport minister stepped in to protect passengers from the "unacceptable" cuts. Amid rumours that the train company has already started limiting ticket office opening hours, Lord Adonis stressed today that SWT would be expected to "fully and consistently" staff stations according to his ruling.SWT is owned by Stagecoach which saw its interim operating profits increase by 25.3 per cent to £31.7million for the six months ending 31 October.
The firm, which imposed peak fare rises of six per cent this month and of more than seven per cent for off-peak, was planning to withdraw staff from 84 stations either for Sunday or the whole weekend, as well as more than 100 reductions during the week.
But after strong opposition to the moves from MPs, unions and passenger groups, the Government announced SWT can only reduce ticket office opening hours where it has less than 12 sales on average an hour.
Ministers stressed this meant the partial or full rejection of about 80 per cent of changes that would have seen no Saturday openings, around 65 per cent of cases that would have seen no Sunday openings, and more than half of weekday cuts.
Lord Adonis said: "We have acted to protect passengers from unacceptable cuts, ensuring that tickets continue to be easily available and that ticket offices are staffed during busy periods."
Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Norman Baker added: "This intervention is welcome and gives a signal to other companies not to be so greedy."
A SWT spokesman said: "We are obviously disappointed that the Department for Transport has not agreed all of our proposals as we believe they made good commercial sense and reflected the way that retailing is changing."
Reader views (17)
Good news but it seems SWT will be cutting on platform staffnow. Bad news for passengers who require platform assistance esp those who are unable to negotiate steep steps. No lifts at ash vale station. Wonder who will dispatch trains and take care of cleanliness and litter problems.
- Cllr Annie Norgrove, Ash Vale
While the news is welcome, ticket office staffing levels are well below what would be acceptable to serve passengers within the 'target' time of 5 minutes. In fact, of those SWT stations I use, I would say in most cases the company has no intention of providing a quick service at the ticket office. Even Waterloo – SWT's hub – usually has two thirds of the ticket windows closed.
- Jeremy, Guildford, Surrey
there is a power still in the unions
thanks for the surport
- Elmo, havant
Well done Lord Adonis ! I've been very impressed with him since his arrival. This proposal was always a stark attempt by SWT to maximise profits at the expense of customer service and safety. So it's good to see a Minister prepared to talk common sense for a change and stand up to the profit hungry Train Operating Companies who are starting to take liberties with their captive monopolies. Let's have more starting with First Capital Connect's planned cuts next.
- Paul, Kingston
This is excellent news. We have been strongly lobbying since June last year.
We still need to see how this pans out for individual stations but SWT will have to now look at each station on a case by case basis which is much more efficient than adopting a blanket policy from the outset and denying any discretion.
- Annie Norgrove, ash vale
Great victory for common sense and one in the eye for TOC's who think running a Rail Company is a license to print money.
I don't accept the notion that Private Transport Companies are suffering in the slightest. They have been subsidised to the tune of billions since they took over, while promising to maintain public service. They had no intention of this from the outset.
It's less a case of dictating how the companies are run, but more a case of maintaining a 'minimum public service'.
I'm personally sick of SWT's determination to 'criminalise' the public, just because there's not enough staff to keep the ticket offices open. There's plenty of staff available to issue penalty fares though
- Michael, Surrey
What are passengers supposed to do when the ticket machines go wrong and the ticket office is closed. Will there be an increase in on board inspectors to "assist" make good the shortfall in revenue?
- William Grierson, Kimpton-UK
I cannot understand any business wishing to leave it's station and customers unprotected from damage or violence. Of course some company's do not realise their obligations to their customers, railway stations can be dangerous place if left unattened.How would disabled people beable to make journey's with out some level of support?
Some companys are not there to give a service but to make every penny they can.
- Mike Melbourne, Bedford England
This is excellent news as it preserves customer service. If train operators wish to keep customer loyalty, this is precisely where they should concentrate their priorities. The profits will then take care of themselves.
- Peter Sykes, Pirot, Serbia
These companies already make obscene amounts of money from the commuters with their over-inflation rises in ticket prices - the very least they can do is staff the stations!!
- Alix, Croydon, UK
I think more ticket offices should be closed if it means lower fares.
- Bobby Gillespie, London
South West Trains? The same company that is stalling to introduce the Oyster card service on it's London routes? Hope they enjoy their franchise whilst they still have it.
- John David, London
Hopefully this will apply to FCC. A friend who conmmutes from Bedfordshire goes beyond London two or three times a month and the machines always assume you are starting there. He may just need an additional ticket to cover London to Gatwick. Previously when the station was unstaffed he has had to detrain, with luggage, and buy the additional ticket at London Bridge adding 30+ mins to the journey.
- Michael, London
Isn't there an obligation to provide disabled assistance at all stations? If not, who puts the wheelchair ramps up when the station is not staffed?
- Sej, Reading UK
I trust that Lord Adonis will give similar consideration to the proposals from First Capital Connect that were reported in the Evening Standard on 12th January 2009 to cut ticket office staff at 28 offices, including stations at Elephant and Castle, Harringay, Hornsey, Luton Airport Parkway, New Southgate, Stevenage and Tooting.
- Donald Smith, North London, UK
I think that the secretary of state wishes to look like he is being tough and public spirited but is rather charging the operators billions of pounds to operate the network and dictating how the companies are run - does this happen in any other industry? Why are the banks handed billions of pounds with no strings yet private transport companies are suffering as well with loss of revenue and the governement dictates to them what to do whilst taking money from them. Very strange way to show your commitment to public transport. It could be argued that Oyster revenue will go to Transport for London meaning national rail will have even less revenue.
- Paul, London
Great news - there's a whole range of tickets not available from their ticket machines, such as season ticket extensions, and, strangely, tickets to quite a large number of smaller stations in the Midlands, North, and Scotland. Of course, if the ticket you need isn't available from the machine, South West Trains will take great pleasure in fining you if you try and buy from the guard.
The only down side is that we can now expect South West Trains to throw their toys out of the pram and not make any further efforts to accept Oyster PAYG.
- Mark Lee, Vauxhall
