Rail firms have announced plans to shut down almost all of England’s remaining ticket offices in an attempt to “modernise” the railway.
The move has angered unions and disability and passenger groups, who say it would affect the ability of some customers to travel independently.
Here, five passengers share how the closure of ticket offices would have an impact on them.
‘Closing ticket offices is yet another example of ageism’
“Increasingly, with age and arthritis, ticket machines and my smartphone are too difficult to use. I sometimes get into a muddle operating a ticket machine, especially if a train is about to arrive. I do have a computer but my fingers don’t work very well any more on the keyboard.
“During the Covid pandemic I used my camper van but if my local ticket office closes I might end up driving more, which is ridiculous because it costs me more because of the Ulez [ultra-low emission zone]. Not to mention the increase in pollution.
“Closing ticket offices is yet another example of ageism creeping into society and people like me are feeling more and more marginalised. It makes growing older in this uncaring country unpleasant and scary. This is no country for old people.”
Tim Preece, 84, actor, Deal
‘My friends who don’t have mobiles won’t be able to travel’
“I’m absolutely devastated. So many of my friends can’t handle the internet so will stop travelling. Some of my friends don’t have a mobile phone or a computer – and that’s an awful lot of people, there’s a huge number of older people in Penrith.
“I can peruse the lists of trains online but it’s so much nicer to get the train staff to help. I do have a phone so I could have my ticket on my phone, but a lot of my friends certainly couldn’t.
“In April this year I had to travel from Penrith (nearly as far north as one can get in England) to Dover and back. I needed help with which company and station [I was changing at] in London, which I was not familiar with. The lovely staff in Penrith gave me a printout of times and stations and advised which trains in the north were likely to run during the strikes. It was really helpful because I know my way round from here to London, but London to Dover I haven’t a clue.”
Frances Bell, 79, from Penrith
‘Without a staff member at the office I would be in trouble’
“I am hearing impaired. If display boards are not working I have to ask staff for service information, I can’t hear loudspeaker announcements. I am a lipreader so without a staff member at the office I would be in real trouble. This has happened to me in the past and the fear of being on a wrong train going to a wrong place is very real.
“I need staff to be facing me to lipread. If I try to ask someone in the station concourse when trains are coming and going and there are lots of people around, trying to lipread becomes a lot more difficult. I think it’s just a way to cut staff over time.”
Rachel Chard, 54, carer, Sevenoaks
‘It will make things difficult when the machine is broken’
“It will remove the place of last resort for many people – whether already in difficulty with automated systems or when something goes wrong. It is already hard enough to get on a train on lesser-used stations that long ago lost their ticket staff, especially when it’s an offence to board a train without a ticket, but the machine is broken or there are other uncertainties with route planning or payment.
“This disastrous decision will end ad hoc journeys for many people. I will be even more reluctant to use the railways than the extreme high fares cause me to be, and more anxious about being unable to have a smooth transaction.”
Chris, 54, senior electronics technician, Didcot
‘I’m reliant on a ticket office so I can buy a ticket for me and my bike’
“I take my bike on the train regularly so that I can either cycle somewhere and take the train back home or get to where I want to start my ride. It is difficult to book a ticket and ensure I get a reservation for my bike on the same train using some companies’ online systems. I am reliant on being able to walk up to the ticket office so that I can buy a ticket for me and my bike.
“Unless this weakness in the online booking system is corrected, the removal of ticket offices will cause major issues for cyclists as we won’t know whether we will be able to fit our bikes on to the train. We will have to buy open tickets in case the cycle spaces are already taken or, as is sometimes the case, still locked or full of suitcases.”
Tim Williams, 58, retired, Newcastle
