The claim made by train operators that closing ticket offices will enhance overall customer service may seem logical, but it is actually misleading (Unions urge ‘final push’ to save England’s rail ticket offices, 1 September).
What they fail to mention is that by closing ticket offices, they are reducing the availability of staff – hence the planned staff redundancies. For instance, at my local station in Northallerton – which is also the main station for Rishi Sunak’s constituency, where he would travel by train if he chose to do so more frequently – the staff availability hours will be cut by 45%, ending at 2pm on weekdays. This means there will be no staff to assist elderly or disabled passengers, help during train delays or cancellations, or aid customers who are unable to use ticket machines.
Other proposed changes include reducing wifi services and discontinuing onboard catering. At a time when promoting train travel to protect the environment is crucial, the government is actually making it less appealing.
Sheila Cross
Northallerton, North Yorkshire
My husband and I have spent the past hour attempting to renew my senior railcard. We provided all the necessary information, including a photo, but the website froze when we tried to make the payment. We made several attempts without success. Despite both of us having Oxford degrees, we have to admit defeat. Instead of purchasing a three-year pass as originally intended, I will have to settle for a one-year pass from our nearest station. If ticket offices disappear, how will I be able to buy cards in the future?
Lin Friend
Burton, Cheshire
I recently bought tickets for my journey to Manchester airport using the East Midlands Railway app. I paid with a credit card for an e-ticket. Unfortunately, the train was cancelled (a common occurrence these days). When I claimed delay repay, instead of receiving a refund, EMR sent me a paper travel voucher with a time limit that can only be redeemed at a ticket office. Without local ticket offices, it would be extremely challenging for people to utilize these vouchers.
Matthew Pennington
Sheffield
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
