Newcastle's train station ticket office is the only one across the North East confirmed to be retained, as customer service desks across England are set for a mass shutdown.
LNER, which runs the ticket office in Central Station, have announced plans to include the retention of ticket offices in Newcastle, Edinburgh Waverley, York, Doncaster, Peterborough and London King’s Cross - which will continue to offer the same range of products and opening times.
Under the proposals LNER plans to repurpose travel centres at Berwick, Darlington, Durham, Grantham, Newark Northgate, Retford, and Wakefield Westgate - with staff supporting customers on the stations and proposals to create a modern station retailing experience.
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LNER is responsible for ticket retailing and passenger assist at eleven stations, as well as Edinburgh Waverley and London King’s Cross, all of which will continue to be staffed by LNER workers from the first to the last train and passenger assistance will remain.
LNER says it is continuing to invest in its stations as it welcomes record numbers of customers back to rail. In a UK first, a Family Lounge has been introduced at London King’s Cross station and waiting rooms have been refurbished across the route.
They say further investment is planned to make rail even more accessible, giving people greater confidence to travel by train. LNER has also committed to multi-million-pound investments at Darlington, Doncaster and Peterborough..
David Horne, Managing Director at LNER, said: "Our customers’ habits have changed, and we must plan for the needs of our future customers. We want everyone to enjoy an even better experience when travelling with LNER.
"Our proposals for each of our stations will bring our people closer to our customers, improve accessibility and make good use of the hand-held technology and digital systems that we have pioneered in the rail industry. Our people will be crucial to the success of our plans, and that is why it is so important to empower our teams to respond to customer needs as we attract more people to rail – the most sustainable way to travel.
"I would encourage people to share their views on our proposals as part of the public consultation."
Northern Rail has also announced the closure of all but one North East ticket office, with Hartlepool to be the only remaining in proposals. Northern currently manages 467 stations, of which 318 are unstaffed and without ticket offices.
That means Sunderland's ticket office in the newly revamped station will come to a close, as well as Hexham's ticket office in Northumberland.
Their proposals, subject to the outcome of this consultation, mean that ticket offices at 131 stations will close, and they will keep ticket offices at 18 stations at hub locations. Ticket offices at these stations will have amended ticket office opening times.
It comes as plans to close almost every single train station ticket office across England are set to be revealed later today, with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) set to unveil proposals to derail offices across hundreds of stations. As it stands, around three in every five stations across the country have a ticket office.
The vast majority of these are both owned and run by train operators, which currently face immense pressure from the Government to save money, after a substantial drop in revenue through the global Coronavirus pandemic. Attempts to close them will spark fury among trade unions, which are involved in long-running disputes with the state over pay, jobs and working conditions.
There are also further concerns that the surprise move may lead to job losses, as well as put vulnerable passengers off the idea of rail-based travel altogether. The RDG detailed how just 12 per cent of train tickets are purchased in station offices, down from 85 per cent back in 1995.
Train companies believe that ticket office staff meanwhile, would have the potential to serve customers more efficiently when situated on station concourses. Passengers would instead be asked to pay for their journey by tapping contactless cards on barriers, making the most of high-tech self-service machines, and buying tickets on board when possible - reports the PA News Agency.
Transport Salaried Staffs Association Interim General Secretary, Peter Pendle, said: "We are clear the Government will face strong opposition from this union on the totally unnecessary mass closure of ticket offices. Ministers will soon realise that the public have no desire to see their rail network diminished in this way.
"The inescapable fact is booking office staff are vital because they give passengers advice and assistance on ticket information, station security and can assist those with disabilities, limited mobility or young children. If it’s the case that Ministers want to begin the implementation of closures by the end of the year then they are cooking up a cold Christmas for our members and millions of rail users who will not forgive them for their short-sighted plans.
"We urge people to take part in the forthcoming consultation in unprecedented numbers so that these daft proposals can be halted without delay, and that we retain a safe and fully accessible railway."
Just last week, RMT General Secretary, Mick Lynch, warned that they union would 'vigorously oppose any moves to close ticket offices'. Neil Middleton, who is the director of Railfuture, meanwhile urged the industry to 'encourage' but not 'force' self-service.
He explained: "If this change drives passengers off the trains, then we’ll all be worse off. Even though there may be a cost saving, if fewer passengers are on the trains it is very easy to see that income will reduce.
"It may be more expensive to sell to the 12 per cent of travellers who buy in-person, but is it really a good idea to give up all of the fare of a traveller who decides not to travel by train in order to save some of the cost?"
Chief Social Change Officer of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), added: "A mass closure of rail ticket offices would have a hugely detrimental impact on blind and partially sighted people’s ability to buy tickets, arrange assistance and, critically, travel independently. RNIB research shows that only 3 per cent of people with sight loss said they could use a ticket vending machine without problems and 58 per cent said it was impossible.
"The Government claims it wants to ‘bring staff out from behind the glass’ but in truth, it risks leaving blind and partially sighted people behind a new barrier."
An RDG spokesman detailed how negotiations with the RMT over the changes have subsequently 'stalled', and how the industry is 'now looking at how to move forward'. They added: "Any changes would be subject to employee and public consultations.
"Staff always remain front of mind, so as you would expect from a responsible employer, if and when the time comes for proposals on ticket offices to be published, they will be the first to know."
