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ScotRail booking/ticket office 'cuts'

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mde

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I couldn't find a thread for this, so I thought I'd start one.

ScotRail have announced that they are proposing to reduce the operating hours of 120 booking offices - no cuts to staff, but re-deployment into amongst other things, "mobile teams". One could perhaps argue this is reminiscent of the London Overground / Underground booking office closures - albeit, in a different way.

There's a claim that this will save on CO2 emissions (between 75 and 102 tonnes) - however no data appears to have been supplied to back this claim (perhaps someone would like to ask, Abellio ScotRail must consider a request under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations).

I don't propose to copy the list across, but the bulk of the reductions are a couple of hours here and there - with three complete closures (Cartsdyke, Clydebank, and Woodhall) being proposed.

The ticketing data is from 2019, so is pre-Covid; it's perhaps worth noting, of course, that there is a reasonable number of ticketing products which aren't available from any of the self-service options - which might put more pressure on conductors / ticket examiners, and lead to more revenue blocks in odd locations.

I can't say I'm surprised to see this one, especially given the leading questions used in a customer panel survey last year surrounding ticket purchasing options - but there we go. What are people's thoughts?

The consultation is now available on the Transport Focus website, closing on 2nd February.

ScotRail review to deliver better experience for customers across the country​

Last updated:
Tuesday, 11 January 2022


ScotRail is proposing changes to ticket office opening hours at stations throughout the country – aimed at delivering a better level of service for customers.
No members of staff would lose their job in this review of all customer-facing functions, and it will deliver improvements for people travelling, and better meet the needs of rail users.

ScotRail is undertaking the wide-ranging review of customer operations, such as ticket office opening hours, as it looks to transform the railway following the impact of the pandemic.

While some aspects of the travelling patterns of customers will return, others will never be the same, and the review will ensure the best possible service is provided to those using ScotRail services and stations.

From the proposed changes, we believe that we will:
  • See less fare fraud and ticketless travel.
  • Generate and protect more revenue.
  • Reduce antisocial behaviour.
  • Introduce new family friendly working hours and part time shifts which have not been prevalent in the past.
  • Decrease CO emission by around 102 tonnes each year from less heating and lighting.
The review does not mean job losses, or a reduction in services:
  • There will be no change to the number or frequency of rail services that call at any stations.
  • The Station teams will not lose their jobs. There will be a job for anyone who wants one.
  • Customer safety will not be impacted by these changes.
  • Passengers with specific mobility or access needs will continue to be supported.
Before the pandemic, customers were increasingly using online options or Ticket Vending Machines, rather than ticket offices. There has been a 50 per cent drop in the use of ticket offices over the past 10 years, with the pandemic quickening that pace of change.

This dramatic shift in customer patterns prompted a review of the opening hours of ticket offices for the first time since 1991 to see if the needs of customers are still being met. The assessment has considered where there is a decline in tickets sales at stations, the opportunities that exist to reduce fraudulent travel, and how to increase revenue through more revenue protection teams.

Transport Focus, the independent watchdog for transport users, will conduct a public consultation on behalf of ScotRail seeking the views of customers about the changes we are proposing, which will begin on 12 January.

Customers can review the proposed changes at their stations via the website - https://www.scotrail.co.uk/scotrail-ticket-office-consultation

The most significant benefit of the proposed changes is to deliver a financially and environmentally sustainable railway that will deliver value for money for customers and taxpayers.

Phil Campbell, Head of Customer Operations, said:

“There has been no real review of our ticket office opening hours for 30 years, and it is important we keep up with the changing habits of customers who no longer rely on purchasing tickets in that way.

“With more than a 50 per cent drop in the use of ticket offices, heightened by the pandemic, we want to do everything we can to make sure everyone has a hassle-free journey.

“Nobody in ScotRail will lose their jobs as a result of these changes, and it is important to note that rather being about cutting jobs, this is about adding value for our staff and customers.

“Over the coming weeks we’ll be talking to customers, staff, and stakeholders about the improvements they can expect to see and experience as they travel around Scotland’s Railway.”
 
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Scotrail314209

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I couldn't find a thread for this, so I thought I'd start one.

ScotRail have announced that they are proposing to reduce the operating hours of 120 booking offices - no cuts to staff, but re-deployment into amongst other things, "mobile teams". One could perhaps argue this is reminiscent of the London Overground / Underground booking office closures - albeit, in a different way.

There's a claim that this will save on CO2 emissions (between 75 and 102 tonnes) - however no data appears to have been supplied to back this claim (perhaps someone would like to ask, Abellio ScotRail must consider a request under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations).

I don't propose to copy the list across, but the bulk of the reductions are a couple of hours here and there - with three complete closures (Cartsdyke, Clydebank, and Woodhall) being proposed.

The ticketing data is from 2019, so is pre-Covid; it's perhaps worth noting, of course, that there is a reasonable number of ticketing products which aren't available from any of the self-service options - which might put more pressure on conductors / ticket examiners, and lead to more revenue blocks in odd locations.

I can't say I'm surprised to see this one, especially given the leading questions used in a customer panel survey last year surrounding ticket purchasing options - but there we go. What are people's thoughts?

The consultation is now available on the Transport Focus website, closing on 2nd February.
I’m not surprised there’s been usage drops as I once tried to buy a Railcard from my local office during the opening hours. Waiting Room was unlocked but there was a sign up saying they were doing other duties. I tried three times over two hours.

It’s no wonder they’ve had cuts especially since sometimes they don’t even open at all.
 

Mawkie

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As well as the parallels with London Underground, this sounds like a variation of the "Customer Hosts" that GTR tried to implement a couple of years ago - where ticket office staff would be wandering around with an ipad and a mobile ticket machine just waiting to give 'better customer service'. Thankfully that scheme seems to have died a death.

Of course, London Underground got reprimanded by London Travelwatch who felt the CSAs weren't visible enough and that passengers preferred to have one point of contact with an organisation rather than hunting around station premises looking for staff.
 

Carntyne

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Surprising to see such a limited number of closures being proposed given awfully low usage and increasing take-up of m-ticketing.
 

The DJ

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It is rather an unpleasant experience for a ticket seller to be turfed out of his/her nice warm office to wander around a cold and draughty concourse. This was the worst part from the staff point of view when London Underground began putting their changes into effect. On some stations it is an immense temptation to wander off the cold draughty ticket hall into a nice warm mess room or a friendly supervisor's office.
 

Bletchleyite

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Surprising to see such a limited number of closures being proposed given awfully low usage and increasing take-up of m-ticketing.

They could probably close more if they didn't persist with an outdated method of electronic ticketing (m-tickets) and adopted e-tickets. M-tickets need to be abolished.

It is rather an unpleasant experience for a ticket seller to be turfed out of his/her nice warm office to wander around a cold and draughty concourse. This was the worst part from the staff point of view when London Underground began putting their changes into effect. On some stations it is an immense temptation to wander off the cold draughty ticket hall into a nice warm mess room or a friendly supervisor's office.

It's certainly a change to the job. However, the railway's role isn't job provision, it's providing a train service. If a particular role is no longer necessary for that purpose, offering the staff a different one on the same money is entirely reasonable. If they would prefer an indoor office-type job, time for them to consider moving to one.
 

Mawkie

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It is rather an unpleasant experience for a ticket seller to be turfed out of his/her nice warm office to wander around a cold and draughty concourse.
It's also a rather unpleasant experience for a passenger to wander around a lonely station in the dark, perhaps with a unexpected long wait for a train, especially if you are a lone female, a vulnerable person, or a person with additional needs.

I understand some of these stations are selling fewer than 10 tickets a day... So what? That's one of the costs of running a railway. I don't understand this rush to provide the minimum of everything.
 

Bletchleyite

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I understand some of these stations are selling fewer than 10 tickets a day... So what? That's one of the costs of running a railway. I don't understand this rush to provide the minimum of everything.

Because a booking office selling 10 tickets a day is a waste of money. Those tickets can be sold by other means.

TBH I think we will see full closure of booking offices nationally before long. They just aren't needed in the same way any more.
 

davetheguard

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Because a booking office selling 10 tickets a day is a waste of money. Those tickets can be sold by other means.

TBH I think we will see full closure of booking offices nationally before long. They just aren't needed in the same way any more.

I think you're probably right.

The greatest problem with this for me is the small stations with just one member of staff; as well as sell tickets and giving information, they put up posters, perhaps dispatch trains, unlock & clean waiting rooms & toilets, perhaps even in a few locations do a bit of looking after the station garden.

If we no longer require the ticket selling role, do we keep them on doing the other things (and lose any worthwhile savings, so you might as well keep the ticket office open), or do we reduce the station to an unstaffed halt, (which can lead to other costs due to increased vandalism etc.)
 

fraser158

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For the booking office staff at some of the stations radiating from Inverness to Aberdeen / Perth / Kyle and Wick (some of which are open for a short time already) I don’t see how you could really redeploy them.

Maybe some resident staff will now be mobile to cover other stations?
 

trei2k

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I think one of the biggest issues at the moment is that you can't get a full suite of tickets from the ticket machines (Rovers, SPT ZoneCard, PlusBus etc.). The SPT Roundabout is the only rover-type ticket that I am aware of that can be purchased from the machines (and even then, you have to know you enter 'Roundabout' as a destination). There needs to be the option to either buy these from the ticket machines or even integrate them into their existing m-ticket app.

I have to admit, I have consistently made use of their m-tickets since they have been introduced. I don't have to go anywhere near their TVMs (which are usually in busier parts of the station), I don't have to second guess whether the staffed booking offices will be open etc. etc. I know m-tickets are not great for a number of reasons and would prefer ScotRail had gone down the e-ticket route, but for very local journeys, they work reasonably well relative to buying from a ticket examiner/standing in a queue at the gateline, using the TVMs etc.).
 

robert thomas

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They could probably close more if they didn't persist with an outdated method of electronic ticketing (m-tickets) and adopted e-tickets. M-tickets need to be abolished.



It's certainly a change to the job. However, the railway's role isn't job provision, it's providing a train service. If a particular role is no longer necessary for that purpose, offering the staff a different one on the same money is entirely reasonable. If they would prefer an indoor office-type job, time for them to consider moving to one.
That's all very well if you have a mobile phone but many of us do not.
 

physics34

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As well as the parallels with London Underground, this sounds like a variation of the "Customer Hosts" that GTR tried to implement a couple of years ago - where ticket office staff would be wandering around with an ipad and a mobile ticket machine just waiting to give 'better customer service'. Thankfully that scheme seems to have died a death.

Of course, London Underground got reprimanded by London Travelwatch who felt the CSAs weren't visible enough and that passengers preferred to have one point of contact with an organisation rather than hunting around station premises looking for staff.
I suspect those plans will be coming back

Remember the default of the railway as far as customer service is concerned should be 73 year old Bertha with a bad hip. She should be able to turn up at a station and be able to buy a ticket easily.
 

Wynd

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The beginning of the cost savings exercise. Not that this will make much difference to those of us here in the North East where we barely have any stations let alone staffed ones.
 

SargeNpton

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96.1% of the UK population apparently owns a smartphone, and I suspect that number will continue to increase:
But a significant proportion of those owners (particularly the elderly) are reluctant to use them for anything other than phone calls or text messages. That may be because they are technophobes, or because they fear getting scammed or perhaps because their eyesight it too poor to adequately see what is on the screen.
 

ScotsRail

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Can anyone really see the staff hanging around the platforms looking to sell tickets at the likes of Pitlochry - the station (and I'm sure many others) surely aren't big enough to justify sending the ticket office staff out and about to help the customers.

Can see this being the start of a process where in a couple of years its "ticket sales in our offices and via our representatives have dropped so we're looking to permanently close ticket offices and reduce staffing"
 

AlastairFraser

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Because a booking office selling 10 tickets a day is a waste of money. Those tickets can be sold by other means.

TBH I think we will see full closure of booking offices nationally before long. They just aren't needed in the same way any more.
You can say that, but many prefer the human touch. Ticket machines are often only partially functional (try using a ticket machine touchscreen in winter) or have a really ****ty interface for use. Not everyone (in fact a sizeable chunk of the population) trusts their phone battery or network enough to use e/m-tickets regularly, indeed some TOCs don't use them or make you collect the tickets instead randomly 3 mins before a train (Northern, I'm looking at you).
These people will either start driving or take the bus where a human with expertise sells them the ticket and the railway will lose their custom if booking offices completely close.
 

Deltic1961

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They've been pushing ticket purchase on the app for a while now.

I know it doesn't suit every person or journey but it's always worked well for me. Only issue is that sometimes the barcode scanner at the barrier doesn't work but it's just random.

Saves the hassle of trying to use the constantly broken ticket machine at Dyce platform 2.

You can say that, but many prefer the human touch. Ticket machines are often only partially functional (try using a ticket machine touchscreen in winter) or have a really ****ty interface for use. Not everyone (in fact a sizeable chunk of the population) trusts their phone battery or network enough to use e/m-tickets regularly, indeed some TOCs don't use them or make you collect the tickets instead randomly 3 mins before a train (Northern, I'm looking at you).
These people will either start driving or take the bus where a human with expertise sells them the ticket and the railway will lose their custom if booking offices completely close.

That's a bit far fetched. I doubt Scotrail would close offices without considering the amount of mobile tickets now being sold. I bet 90% of regular customers have access to a smartphone that supports the app.
 

43066

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Because a booking office selling 10 tickets a day is a waste of money. Those tickets can be sold by other means.

TBH I think we will see full closure of booking offices nationally before long. They just aren't needed in the same way any more.

Sadly I agree. The London ones especially are very little used these days. That’s increasingly going to become the case nationally as contactless/oyster style schemes are rolled out (albeit oyster is of course very old hat now).


As well as the parallels with London Underground, this sounds like a variation of the "Customer Hosts" that GTR tried to implement a couple of years ago - where ticket office staff would be wandering around with an ipad and a mobile ticket machine just waiting to give 'better customer service'. Thankfully that scheme seems to have died a death.

Unfortunately it’s only going to go one way. It might be best to accept the inevitable, and moving to roles like this will be a better option than redundancy and completely unmanned stations.

But a significant proportion of those owners (particularly the elderly) are reluctant to use them for anything other than phone calls or text messages. That may be because they are technophobes, or because they fear getting scammed or perhaps because their eyesight it too poor to adequately see what is on the screen.

Hardly anybody is in this position, though, and those who are are so few in number that it doesn’t make economic sense to cater for them. I’m also not sure how accurate the stereotype of elderly person = hopeless with technology is anymore. Increasingly “elderly” means people who’ve had technology around them for a substantial part of their lives. Technophobes are also often a lot younger than elderly!
 

Non Multi

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Hardly anybody is in this position, though, and those who are are so few in number that it doesn’t make economic sense to cater for them. I’m also not sure how accurate the stereotype of elderly person = hopeless with technology is anymore. Increasingly “elderly” means people who’ve had technology around them for a substantial part of their lives. Technophobes are also often a lot younger than elderly!
So having seeing 2 occasions in the last 12 months of a pensioner just looking in complete bafflement at a touchscreen TVM as if it had landed from outer space, just trying to purchase a ticket... was a complete figment of my imagination?
 

Scott1

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So having seeing 2 occasions in the last 12 months of a pensioner just looking in complete bafflement at a touchscreen TVM as if it had landed from outer space, just trying to purchase a ticket... was a complete figment of my imagination?
The solution there is simple, and is coming at some TOCs already. You have a button on the TVM connected to a call centre who put the ticket through for you. All you have to do is pay. Some will also have video so you can see each other too. This way one ticket office employee can cover lots of stations at the same time. Much more affordable.
 

6Gman

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As well as the parallels with London Underground, this sounds like a variation of the "Customer Hosts" that GTR tried to implement a couple of years ago - where ticket office staff would be wandering around with an ipad and a mobile ticket machine just waiting to give 'better customer service'. Thankfully that scheme seems to have died a death.
Virgin West Coast did this at Crewe (and presumably elsewhere) and we found it useful. It meant we could buy our "on the day" tickets without having to queue behind the person laboriously filling in their Railcard application form or discussing endless options for their trip to Plymouth next month. ("If I came back on the Tuesday afternoon rather than Wednesday morning would that be any cheaper?" etc etc)
 

43066

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So having seeing 2 occasions in the last 12 months of a pensioner just looking in complete bafflement at a touchscreen TVM as if it had landed from outer space, just trying to purchase a ticket... was a complete figment of my imagination?

Two in twelve months is hardly big numbers, to be fair. I’ve seen many younger people looking in bafflement at TVMs. I’ve also had younger people come up and say “is this the London train?” when it says “London” in big yellow letters on the front and sides of the train, and on the platform screens. Some people just can’t be helped!
 

Geeves

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Speaking as an ex ticket office employee (and having covered some very quiet stations) I often thought it would be better for the ticket office to just have the same machine as the guards and just have the office as a base, do the first few hours there, then go out and sell onboard the actual trains before returning to cash up. Just a thought.
 

Wynd

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TVM's need A LOT of work on the user interface. I have grown up in the digital era and I struggle with them. That keyboard alone is horrific!

The call though via VC is a great idea to cover those not if the digital era.

Then agian, just having them work would be a start. They are frequently out of use in Dyce, Inverurie, Insch, Kintore. Kintore only has 1, and its a brand new station. Yet it has over 100 CCTV cameras and 8 electric charger stations. But one TVM! I wish i had been in that meeting.
 

InOban

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The solution there is simple, and is coming at some TOCs already. You have a button on the TVM connected to a call centre who put the ticket through for you. All you have to do is pay. Some will also have video so you can see each other too. This way one ticket office employee can cover lots of stations at the same time. Much more affordable.
Every Scotrail station has an audio help point. I can't see why the capabilities of this system couldn't be enhanced to assist ticket purchase.
 

AlastairFraser

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They've been pushing ticket purchase on the app for a while now.

I know it doesn't suit every person or journey but it's always worked well for me. Only issue is that sometimes the barcode scanner at the barrier doesn't work but it's just random.

Saves the hassle of trying to use the constantly broken ticket machine at Dyce platform 2.



That's a bit far fetched. I doubt Scotrail would close offices without considering the amount of mobile tickets now being sold. I bet 90% of regular customers have access to a smartphone that supports the app.
Oh,many do, but a lot of the TOCs have really ****ty apps. It is a rational scenario if a train company puts up perceivable barriers, that some people will choose an easier and simpler mode of travel that likely passes closer to their home.
 

Mawkie

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Virgin West Coast did this at Crewe (and presumably elsewhere) and we found it useful. It meant we could buy our "on the day" tickets without having to queue behind the person laboriously filling in their Railcard application form or discussing endless options for their trip to Plymouth next month. ("If I came back on the Tuesday afternoon rather than Wednesday morning would that be any cheaper?" etc etc)
This sounds like it was in addition to the ticket office staff, rather than closing the ticket office and moving staff out of the one place everyone knows they will be able to find a staff member.

When they closed the ticket offices and moved everyone onto the concourses on London Underground I had a passenger shout at me, "Do you work here? Well, you're too f***ing short to work here - I've been walking around looking for someone for 5 minutes". :D
 
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