Which ticket offices will avoid the axe?

[A0]

To be honest I've never ever had my tickets checked on a Thameslink train and I use them regularly, but maybe its more of a MML thing than an East Coast Main Line thing.

WMT/LNWR I do agree, tickets are not check regularly at all and I use them pretty much everyday but recently they have been getting better I think.

Aren't most Thameslink stations gated though ? So if you've not got a valid ticket you can't get through the gateline - or have to work around it. Even interchange onto the Underground is nearly always through a gateline now.

 

[Backroom_boy]

Am on the Sutton loop and just had a ticket check. Presumably checks are being targeted

 

[6Gman]

Staff will continue to be required to man gatelines, to provide assistance as per disability legislation, and to carry out train dispatch duties where required. The sensible future would see these roles combined, along with a retail/general customer assistance role to provide support in purchasing tickets, into one multipurpose stations grade. It makes sense to everyone except the RMT.

The problem with combining gateline responsibilities with ticketing issue, disability assistance etc is that you then get stuck at the barrier (if you have a non-compliant ticket) while the staff deal with other matters.

 

[Hadders]

I see that half of the ticket office at Kings Cross has been repurposed as a family waiting room.

 

[Halifaxlad]

I suspect Keighley considering they also dispatch some services in the morning and late in the evening. Also it isn't practical to install a gateline at the station.

As for Halifax it will probably be maintained until this new station building is built which is to have a gateline.

 

[WizCastro197]

Earlswood will obviously close, it is only open in the morning peak but its ticket machine is pretty bad.

Redhill I am not so sure, at first I thought it wasn't going to close due to the very very long line for both TVMs and Ticket office but now since reading @Hadders post about Kings X I am not convinced it will remain.


And Also, what is the point in supplying staff to help with TVMs when those staff could be at a ticket desk?

 

[Bald Rick]

And Also, what is the point in supplying staff to help with TVMs when those staff could be at a ticket desk?

Because they can help with several TVMs, help passengers who already have a ticket (like most of them do) but need information or assistance, and perform other duties around the station, not being tied to a ticket office. Obvious really.

 

[Scott1]

Because they can help with several TVMs, help passengers who already have a ticket (like most of them do) but need information or assistance, and perform other duties around the station, not being tied to a ticket office. Obvious really.

You can still only do one thing at a time, so you can't help several customers at TVMs at the same time. As for performing other duties, I don't know about other TOCs, but on my patch the ticket office person at small stations is also the cleaner, the person opening and closing up, the dispatcher at some and anything else needed as most lone work.

 

[greyman42]

Because they can help with several TVMs, help passengers who already have a ticket (like most of them do) but need information or assistance, and perform other duties around the station, not being tied to a ticket office. Obvious really.

If they are performing other duties around the station, they will not be any help to passengers having problems with the TVMs.

 

[Bald Rick]

If they are performing other duties around the station, they will not be any help to passengers having problems with the TVMs.

Sigh. At lower used stations there’s plenty of time between potential passengers…

 

[WizCastro197]

Sigh. At lower used stations there’s plenty of time between potential passengers…

Yes but at lower used stations, it may be that there are no staff at all?

 

[jon81uk]

You can still only do one thing at a time, so you can't help several customers at TVMs at the same time. As for performing other duties, I don't know about other TOCs, but on my patch the ticket office person at small stations is also the cleaner, the person opening and closing up, the dispatcher at some and anything else needed as most lone work.

But they can say to customer A you need to click here and select that ticket, while then assisting customer B who is asking if their ticket is valid on the next train.
Whereas behind glass only one person can talk to the member of staff at a time.