Petition against closure of ticket offices in railway station

We have just come back from a holiday in Nice, France and used the train on several days to visit nearby places. No stations had ticket offices, only ticket machines. Nice station was a complete nightmare - huge queues at each machine and so many different nationalities trying to navigate through the numerous screens before finally purchasing a ticket. If this experience is a sign of what we can expect, heaven help us.

Perhaps the French and Italian railways are less fragmented than ours (and predominantly nationalised)which helps to make journeys and ticketing more easily understood. In this country you need a degree in navigating the system before you even get on the train, which is where human beings in ticket offices whose job it is to understand this convoluted system come into their own.

I'm currently travelling in France and Italy by train and what I find is that train and metro tickets are almost exclusively sold online or by station machines. Tickets to get into attractions such as Milan cathedral can be bought at the manned ticket office there but if you want to avoid a long queue it's better to buy the tickets online to show in your mobile phone or print them out in advance to show. Luggage lockers in Zurich are most often paid by card as are the w.c.'s and a cup of coffee ditto. It's a brave new world out there and the UK is heading into it.

Sums it up!

These days it is such a pleasure to speak to an actual human being, whether phoning a company and waiting 40 mins listening to muzak, or in real life, like in a railway station.

Grantanow

I think ticket offices would die out from lack of use over time as more and more oldies become computer literate and technological developments enable sight challenged people to use them more effectively but this needs to be accompanied by the return of platform staff to help travellers, especially those with a disability. 'Roving' staff as talked up by the train operators are not adequate: my small station had one who roved up and down the line, never there when needed.

I'm sure that with advances in developing robots, and in AI, rail operators will be able to do without human staff altogether.

What a delightful prospect.

I think ticket offices would die out from lack of use over time as more and more oldies become computer literate and technological developments enable sight challenged people to use them more effectively but this needs to be accompanied by the return of platform staff to help travellers, especially those with a disability. 'Roving' staff as talked up by the train operators are not adequate: my small station had one who roved up and down the line, never there when needed.

We could look at what happens in other countries. In Sweden I buy my train tickets from newsagents or other convenience stores. I think buying on an app is preferred by younger people. If the train fares system in the UK was simplified so that passengers could actually understand it people would not need advice. We could also look at how others provide assistance to passengers with a disability. Travelling by train should not be an obstacle course.

I cannot sign as my station is not listed.
Our local ticket staff are so helpful ... and the Passener Assist.

I've just signed

I thought it was last night as responses had to be received ‘by 1 Sept’?

Bumping this as the petition closes tonight!

I already signed that petition and forwarded it on to friends.

Thank you

Ive signed and shared the link on my Face Book page, I’m sure some people didn’t realise that we could put our views accross.

Maybe everyone should post the link on their FB page as well?

I’ve found the staff at Bristol Parkway and Newcastle so helpful whilst online can be a nightmare. I used to enjoy train travel but it’s dirty, crowded, uncomfortable and expensive. I had an older persons travel card but I’ve not renewed it. The joy of train travel has gone to be replaced by faceless and voiceless so called services online. It’s ok when travel is straightforward but the only thing that really helps is speaking to a person, generally face to face.

Above is not a petition as such but an opportunity to comment, which I have just done.

We have a local petition here started by the Lib Dems.
It is proving well supported.
The people in our local ticket office are gems, so very helpful and known to most passengers personally.
When it is not busy, work travelling times, they will find best trains, times and cost .
They would be very much missed.
I dare say the same can’t be said for large stations but these people are a real asset .