Full list of every railway station ticket offices set to be axed

A list reveals every railway station ticket office in Coventry and Warwickshire ^[1] that are due to be closed under new modernisation plans. The proposals have been revealed by West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway today (July 5) as part of what they say are plans to close ticket offices that are not used, and bring staff out from behind the counters to help rail users.

In the plans, Coventry's Canley ^[2] and Tile Hill ticket offices are set to close as is Stratford in Warwickshire.

Nuneaton ^[3] Railway Station's ticket office is one of the very few to have been spared the axe. This will is set to become one of just four London Northwestern Railway hubs offering enhanced retail facilities and customer support.

Coventry ^[4] Arena does not have a ticket office, neither does Bedworth ^[5] or Bermuda, but the plans are to bring in 'an enhanced staff presence; at these two stations. Staff from new mobile teams will be sent here, on a 'flexible basis' to undertake customer service, passenger assistance, safety and general upkeep duties.

This is the same situation for Henley-in-Arden station as well as Stratford-upon-Avon ^[6] Parkway.

Rail bosses say that there has been a huge shift in the way people buy tickets and the use of ticket offices has fallen from 82 per cent to 12 per cent over the past 30 year. The closures are set to be made over the next three years but before they come into force, a public consultation is being held into the proposals.

In a statement, Ian McConnell, managing director of West Midlands Railway, said: "We need to evolve with our customers, as well as creating a more sustainable railway that’s fit for the future.

“Our proposals would mean staff being more visible and available where customers most need them; on concourses and platforms to help with journey planning, finding the right ticket and supporting passengers with accessibility needs.

“We understand that some customers have complex needs and some are less comfortable using digital technology. That’s why we will be consulting widely with relevant groups and looking at ways of supporting all our customers to ensure that no-one is left behind.”

West Midlands Railway unveils ticket office modernisation plans ^[7]

West Midlands Railway has today (5 July) published proposals to modernise the way train tickets are sold at stations.

The company, alongside other train operators in England, is proposing to bring employees out from behind ticket office windows to be closer to customers, providing an enhanced customer service role and greater visibility of staff on concourses and platforms.

The proposals represent the biggest change to customer retailing since the 1990s, when 82% of all tickets were sold at ticket offices, compared to just 12% today.

A consultation on the reforms will provide rail passengers with the opportunity to have their say on the plans, which aim to follow other modern retailers such as airlines, supermarkets and banks in adapting to consumer demand and providing a quicker, smoother and more convenient experience.

Under the plans, all ticket offices in their current form would close over the next three years, but the operator would retain six hub stations across the network: Birmingham Snow Hill, Sutton Coldfield, University, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Worcester Foregate Street.

These hubs would enable the evolution of retail and the multi-skilling of staff, offering enhanced retail facilities and customer support whilst industry fares, ticketing and retail reforms are delivered. In the meantime, cash will continue to be accepted across the rail network.

Mobile teams would move between stations and be deployed to offer extra help where needed. Ticket vending machines would be upgraded to make sure customers can still buy the most popular tickets at stations and many staff will have hand-held devices. New customer help points would also be introduced at stations as part of the proposals.

Nationally around half of all sales are now online, with many customers choosing to use more convenient ways of paying for their journey, including online and self-service ticket machines. An estimated 99% of all transactions made at ticket offices last year can be made at TVMs or online.

Ian McConnell, managing director of West Midlands Railway, said:

“We need to evolve with our customers, as well as creating a more sustainable railway that’s fit for the future.

Coventry's main railway station, Rugby ^[8], Leamington Spa ^[9] and Warwick ^[10] parkway stations are all ran by different operators.

To comment on proposed changes to ticket offices customers can contact Transport Focus, the independent transport user watchdog, by Wednesday, July 26 at [email protected]^[11] or Freepost: RTEH-XAGE-BYKZ, Transport Focus, PO Box 5594, Southend on Sea, SS1 9PZ.

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References

^{^} Warwickshire (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
^{^} Canley (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
^{^} Nuneaton (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
^{^} Coventry (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
^{^} Bedworth (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
^{^} Stratford-upon-Avon (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
^{^} West Midlands Railway unveils ticket office modernisation plans (postman.mynewsdesk.com)
^{^} Rugby (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
^{^} Leamington Spa (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
^{^} Warwick (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
^{^} [email protected] (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
^{^} daily newsletter. (data.reachplc.com)