Recent content by Philip

If it was framed like that, then it would likely produce a more sympathetic response, but the jist from the idea of this thread feels like a cynical attempt to hasten the closure of ticket offices, by putting off the remaining people who use currently use them. I don't know the current station...

My comments may come across as arrogant and biased, but I have many years' experience working in two busy booking offices, to offer opinion from experience. More significantly, when the question of their status and future was put to public consultation 18 months ago, an overwhelming majority...

Closing tickets offices won't necessarily lead to a lowering of fares or lower increase of fares. As far as it coming out of people's taxes, well this is to pay for a service. It's open to debate about how efficient that level of service is and how cost effective, but I maintain that my examples...

We're talking about the present situation here and believe me a good proportion of our customers don't have a clue how to use a TVM or book online, quite a few can't speak English and need us to speak into their translator to understand, not something Northern's TVMs can currently help with...

As my example shows though, if using this particular station as a representation, they're currently far from irrelevant or a niche market. I know this depends on geographic location (London being much less cash oriented and more 'tech savvy') and yes in general they're no where near as busy as...

Also, someone mentioned that the people who rely on ticket offices are in a niche minority. This is far from the case where I work; over half of our customers pay with cash and this has been increasing since covid, the ticket machines do not take cash so we are the only point of sale on the...

In reference to the other thread, if people are unhappy about the level of ticket office patronage and questioning their justification, what is the point of ideas like this thread, as this will reduce their ticket sales even further, as well as inconveniencing people who prefer to use them...

I think a good idea would be for TfW to retain the Manchester to South Wales service, but have all of them run non-stop Crewe-Shrewsbury (then Ludlow, Leominster & Hereford). Northern could then introduce a new bi-hourly Manchester Victoria to Shrewsbury service, running in alternate hours from...

185s are very loud themselves when thrashed, as are the 170s with the hyper-sounding turbo.

Salford Central is more convenient for visiting the centre of Manchester than Piccadilly is, and only marginally less so than Victoria, Deansgate & Oxford Road.

Could some services turn back at Salford Central, to save space at Victoria? If this is possible, it'd make sense to at least terminate a Wigan stopper and perhaps one of the Blackpool services at Salford Central. It might only be small, but it is conveniently located for a well developed area...

Do you think the Liverpool line platforms should be reopened at Salford Central, to create a small hub with new connections available? The proposed London-Man Vic LNW could stop here, along with the Northern Chester service and finally a TPE to Liverpool. If one of the Blackpool to Man Airport...

Faster, more modern & comfortable, probably more reliable to list a few reasons. They can also run in multiple with a gangway connection with the 331s & 323s can't do. Would this allow 8-car trains to stop at the stations where the platforms aren't long enough for the whole train, providing the...

I thought the Westhoughton line was more or less ready for the switch on by Christmas, only for it to be delayed by the wire theft?

Currently the first Atherton line arrival into Manchester (Victoria) is the 05:48 from Wigan, which arrives into Manchester at 06:33, and the last train departure from Manchester is the 22:01 from Victoria; there are long term replacement buses scheduled to leave Victoria at 22:40 and 23:40...