I know constituents have concerns about rail companies consulting on ticket offices, so I’ve summarised the latest from them on our local stations below. No station will become unstaffed as a result, but with just 1 in 9 transactions taking place at a ticket office, these proposals by industry aim to deliver more face-to-face staff support and advice on your journey, out and about on the concourse and platform, helping you find the best and cheapest fares while still supporting passengers with accessibility needs. Details on how to have your say and respond to the consultation are below too, and I would strongly encourage you to make your voice heard!
Berwick-upon-Tweed Station:
“Berwick-upon-Tweed Station will be open and STAFFED FROM THE FIRST TO THE LAST TRAIN. Assistance with ticketing will be available during these times...”
“We will upskill our colleagues to bring them closer to customers. This means enhancing our retail offering with floor walking, mobile equipment and an enhanced Customer Information Point...”
“Only 4% of customer purchase tickets at Berwick-upon-Tweed Ticket Office. Over 90% of ticket types purchased through the Ticket Office can still be bought at the station through a Ticket Vending Machine (TVMs) or a colleague using a mobile retailing device...”
“As a result of the planned changes, a small percentage (around 8%) of ticket types will no longer be retailed at Berwick-upon-Tweed Station. We’ll support customers with purchasing these online if possible or direct them to our neighbouring LNER stations” “Customers won’t be able to obtain the following products: Season Replacement, Rovers & Rangers, Excesses; Photocards, Refunds, Seat Reservations, and Rail Cards...”
“A public consultation will be open from 5 – 26 July… Note that these plans are not final, and we encourage people to provide feedback”: [email protected]
Further information HERE.
Alnmouth Station:
Journey Maker hours – Monday – Saturday: 06:30 – 13:00
Journey Maker hours – Sunday: 11:00 – 21:00
“We will bring our ticket office colleagues into new Journey Maker roles to help customers around the station. Journey Makers will be based at stations, although no longer within ticket offices. They’ll be available in other areas of the station to help customers face to face with a wide range of needs. This includes supporting people who need extra help travelling through our stations and onto trains...”
“Where available, Journey Makers will support customers to buy tickets at ticket machines or through the customers’ own mobile device. Customers who can only pay with cash and do not have access to a ticket office should get a Promise to Pay notice from a ticket machine before getting onto a train. A Promise to Pay notice allows them to board a train as long as they exchange the notice for a ticket (and pay in cash) at the first opportunity, either on board (from a conductor), or from a ticket office...”
“Only 1 in 6 journeys on Northern services are bought through a ticket office, compared with almost half of all journeys in 2018...”
“If you would like to comment on these proposals please contact Transport Focus by 23.59 on 28 July 2023… If your response relates to a certain station please include the station name in your response.”: [email protected]
Further information HERE.
Morpeth Station:
Journey Maker hours – Monday – Saturday: 06:30 – 12:00
Acklington, Chathill, Pegswood and Widdrington Stations are unaffected as these stations do not have ticket offices.
Rail companies are also unveiling a series of pledges for rail passengers about the proposals: across the network as a whole, there will be more staff available to give face to face help to customers out in stations than there are today; customers will never have to travel out of their way to buy tickets; those with accessibility needs will always be supported; and all rail staff will be treated fairly and their new roles will be more engaging. The reforms will not affect train companies’ ability to provide assistance to those needing wheelchair and mobility support from staff, either on demand at the station or by booking in advance. New mobile assistance teams will be created to offer extra help where needed, including for stations which are currently unstaffed.
