Final chance for feedback on ticket office closures in Berks & Hants
Train operators want to close station ticket offices and re-deploy staff
Two more Berkshire councils have raised concerns about plans to close railway station ticket offices in the region.
South Western Railway and Great Western Railway plan to close ticket offices at stations they manage across Berkshire and north Hampshire over the next three years, with station staff helping passengers to use ticket machines.
Wokingham Borough Council
In a letter it plans to send to government transport regulators, the council said: “Many individuals, including those with disabilities, the elderly, the young and those from lower-income backgrounds, heavily rely on the assistance and advice provided by station staff.
“Ticket machines and mobile apps do not cater to all passengers’ needs and may be inaccessible or confusing for some individuals, particularly for those with special educational needs or impaired eyesight.”
The council also warns that stations could become more unsafe when staff aren’t around. “There may be a higher risk of incidents, anti-social behaviour, and a lack of immediate assistance during emergencies,” it says.
“Unstaffed train stations increase vulnerability for individuals, particularly for women and is a crucial step backwards against violence against women and girls.”
Under South Western Railway’s plans, Earley and Winnersh stations would be completely unstaffed on Sundays and Mondays. Currently, Earley is staffed seven days a week, while Winnersh is only unstaffed on Sundays.
Meanwhile, Winnersh Triangle would be unstaffed on Fridays and Saturdays – as opposed to just Sundays, when it is currently unstaffed.
On days that they are staffed, this will only be between 6am and 10am on weekdays, and 9am to 1pm on weekends. This means that each station will only be staffed for 20 hours a week.
Wokingham Borough Council warns that for some types of tickets unavailable through machines – or for more complex journeys – passengers will first have to travel to busier stations such as Reading where they can buy them in person.
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead is objecting to planned closures of ticket offices at railway stations which will disadvantage vulnerable passengers – including at eight stations in the borough.
The council says the rail industry’s proposals to replace staffed ticket offices with ticket machines are premature, not fully developed and will reduce quality of service and ease of access to tickets for residents, especially older and/or disabled people.
Lending its voice to a growing chorus of objectors calling for a national re-think, the council has submitted its formal objection letter raising significant accessibility concerns on behalf of the borough’s local residents and visitors.
The borough has an ageing population with 18.4% of the population being aged 65 years and over and 12.4% declaring a disability. Windsor is also a major visitor destination which prides itself in welcoming people of different ages and abilities from around the world.
The council’s concerns include:
Inaccessibility of machines to wheelchair users due to the height of screen and card reader
The lack of audio availability and low screen contrast acts as a barrier for users with impaired vision and reduced literacy levels
The limited provision offered by machines to customers with learning difficulties/disabilities
Language barriers, resulting from many machines catering only for English speakers
Wheelchair discounts (50% on the ticket price) are currently only available at a ticket office
Foreign bank cards are often not accepted by machines – a particular issue for Windsor and Eton stations.
Rail Operators
South Western Rail and Great Western Rail say the changes are justified by falling ticket office use.
South Western Rail says staff “will be trained to support customers with their retail choices, and by bringing them out of the ticket offices and into the stations, they will provide more visible and personal help to our customers.
“We will continue to meet all our commitments on providing accessibility for passengers, including passengers with reduced mobility and people requiring in‑person assistance.”
How to have your say
Fri 1 Sept is the final day to send your comments to the consultation