Ticket offices at 14 train stations in Cheshire be closed permanently, including Alderley Edge, Handforth and Wilmslow.
Plans to axe up to 1,000 ticket offices across the UK were unveiled by the government on Tuesday, 5th July, having been proposed by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) - an industry body which represents private railway operators.
Face-to face counters will remain at some of the busiest stations, including Manchester Piccadilly.
Customers will now have to purchase tickets via apps and websites or self-service machines at stations.
Jacqueline Starr, Rail Delivery Group chief executive, said "The ways our customers buy tickets has changed and it's time for the railway to change with them.
"With just 12% of tickets being sold from ticket offices last year, and 99% of those transactions being available on TVMs or online, our proposals would mean more staff on hand on to give face to face help with a much wider range of support, from journey planning, to finding the right ticket and helping those with accessibility needs."
The trade union RMT condemned the proposals to close ticket offices.
RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: "The decision to close up to 1,000 ticket offices and to issue hundreds of redundancy notices to staff is a savage attack on railway workers, their families and the travelling public.
"Travellers will be forced to rely on apps and remote mobile teams to be available to assist them rather than having trained staff on stations.
"This is catastrophic for elderly, disabled and vulnerable passengers trying to access the rail network."
He added "They want to cut costs, make profits for shareholders, and run the network into the ground without a thought as to the vital role the rail industry plays in the country's economy.
"RMT is mounting a strong industrial, and political campaign to resist ticket office closures and station staff cuts. And we will continue our fight on July 20, 22 and 29 when 20,000 railway workers on the train operators go on strike."
Comments
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Here's an excellent piece that sums up this cynical totally illogical government anti-rail customer proposal rather well. :
https://busandtrainuser.com/2023/07/08/ticket-office-closure-con/
She got on the train to Handforth thinking that she would buy her ticket there. No! She was fined for not having a ticket.
Having paid the fine, Northern Rail show no interest in giving her the benefit of the doubt. It was paid, so that’s it, no refund.
What a world we live in.
I have several friends too that are not online and do not have smart phones.
If the ticket office is closed and if any self-service ticket machines at the departure station are not working, or if you have a disability preventing you from using them, only then you are allowed to board a train without a ticket.
My advice is simply not to risk it. Many people do and get away with it. Your decision.
https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/sites/default/files/2023-07/Public%20Consultation%20Document%20-%20V2.pdf
I was on a train recently and witnessed a young man, on being asked to show his ticket, ask to buy a single, Wilmslow to Stockport. The guard pointed out he was liable for the £100 penalty fare as he should have bought a ticket at Wilmslow, but didn't enforce it - he just sold him the requested ticket at the standard price.
My feeling is that some guards are reluctant to challenge a fare evader with a £100 penalty, whereas if it were, say, £25 they might. However, Revenue Enforcement Officers sometimes travel on our trains, and they will have no qualms about such enforcement.