Do you use ticket offices?

[ooo]

As mobile tickets and ticket machines become even more prevalent on the railway I was thinking about usage of ticket offices and their future especially as London Underground doesn't have any anymore.

Personally I haven't used a ticket office in a very long time as I always buy or collect tickets from machines or onboard. What about you?

 

[alxndr]

If there was an option for "occasionally" I would have picked that.

If I'm travelling in advance I'll probably book online for the Nectar points and collect at a TVM, same if I'm provided tickets by work. If I'm buying tickets on the day it'll be a decision made based on the queues.

I keep meaning to make an effort to support ticket offices as I think they are vital (especially for when I mess up and buy the wrong ticket!) but these days I don't tend to go near the station if I'm not travelling, or if I do it's at odd hours when they're not open.

 

[SquireBev]

There's often no choice in Worcester, as each station only has one ticket machine anyway, and there's often a queue.

 

[methethpropbut]

Uhhh once when I wanted the Anglia Plus ranger.

I don't like interacting with people it seems!

 

[Cowley]

I like to talk to an actual person because I’m like that.

 

[cf111]

If it's a walk-up purchase for travel on the day or within a few days, or if I want to use rail travel vouchers, I engage the services of the very helpful staff at Inverness station.

If I'm buying in advance I'll use the internet, if I'm buying a ticket in transit then I'll use a ticket machine.

 

[221129]

As often as I need to as it is the only place other than onboard that I can buy.

 

[yorksrob]

I prefer to use the ticket office where possible. The staff at Leeds are generally very helpful.

 

[uww11x]

Can only buy Rangers at ticket halls?

 

[Llanigraham]

I much prefer to use ticket offices mostly, normally Machynlleth or Newtown, for long distance tickets, but will use the machine at Caersws for local trips.
Will also occasionally book direct with ATW or Virgin for London tickets.
Never use the Trainline, but used to use RedSpottedHanky.

 

[Randomer]

Only for things I can't order online like Rangers or for doing large splits (a common journey for me is 4 separate off peak returns each of which wants a seat choosing etc.) where ordering online would be tedious. My local ticket office are quite happy outside the peaks to be handed a piece of paper outlining what I want and do sensible reservations based off it; "I can't get you the same seat but you can swap between that one and the one next to it"!)

Otherwise Spliticket/Raileasy get my custom for most journeys.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I prefer TVMs because they don't argue with you about what you want to buy.

 

[GW43125]

If I'm buying advances I'll do it online but I'll do almost everything else at a ticket office because I like speaking to a person. Another factor that makes me want to use the ticket office at my local is that the TO still gives the old style tickets but the TVMs give the awful new ones you need a degree to understand!

 

[Bungle965]

Can only buy Rangers at ticket halls?

No, London Overground ones for instance sell a various assortment of Rangers and Rovers from their TVM's such as 7/14 Day ALR.
I believe that it was one of the conditions for them to begin to close their ticket offices.
Sam

 

[DanTrain]

Last time I used them was to swap an advance for a different time (which a machine can't do) and at Meadowhell where I couldn't find a machine. I tend to prefer a machine as it's a bit easier and generally has less queuing.

 

[toml]

There has been a few times where I haven't prebooked and the queue has been shorter in the office than the machines. It's a good time saver in some situations as the staff are very efficient in my local office.

 

[yorkie]

Unfortunately some ticket office staff can be obstructive (e.g. the ongoing issues at Sheffield, which are still not fully resolved), and some ticket offices can have lengthy queues. Both can cause frustration.

So I prefer to buy online, or from a machine, if the ticket I want is available through such methods.

 

[Kite159]

My local station only has a TVM, however I make use of the ticket office at Andover when purchasing my rovers (unless I get time to do it elsewhere when out and about on the network)

 

[bussnapperwm]

Mostly for local/PTE products. For longer distance products I usually do it on TPE for the nectar points, but sometimes I do buy my advances at the station in cash

 

[al78]

Occasionally for walk-up tickets. It depends on which method looks to be quicker. Last time there was one person at the window and a group of people stood in front of the machine who looked like they had no idea what they were doing, so I chose the ticket office.

In the past I have preferred to use the ticket office when buying tickets to London, because I wasn't sure of the restrictions of off-peak and super off-peak, and the machine doesn't provide that information, so it is useful to be able to tell someone where I want to go, and at what time, and let them sell me a suitable ticket.

 

[Old Hill Bank]

The Ticket Office is a vital link into the rail network for those who have a problem with technology and should be maintained at as many stations as possible. Smart phone and TVM stuff is fine for some but socially excluding others, our public transport systems need to cater for all.

 

[maire23]

Not usually- I generally either buy online and collect at machine or just buy from the machine.

 

[cactustwirly]

I tend to find that buying from a TVM is quicker and it has a shorter queue, I buy advances online, which is also much quicker.
I only use the TO to buy Rovers which aren't available from TVMs.

 

[bramling]

As mobile tickets and ticket machines become even more prevalent on the railway I was thinking about usage of ticket offices and their future especially as London Underground doesn't have any anymore.

Personally I haven't used a ticket office in a very long time as I always buy or collect tickets from machines or onboard. What about you?

Yes, simply because it's not possible to get PRIV tickets from machines..

 

[beeza1]

I normally use the ticket office or buy on board, (my local station has no purchasing facilities), I sometimes collect advance tickets booked online from a TVM, but the cheap advances on my regular journey seem as rare as hens teeth.

My journeys usually involve splits, some of them suggested by booking office staff, so using a TVM is not an option,(unless the split is at an interchange and you have enough time).

I live in Northern land and am dreading the installation of a TVM at my local station, on one of my journeys the train departs at 09:25, so I get an Anytime ticket to the next station , then get an Off Peak from there, (originally suggested to me by the guard, that's how I first learned the benefits of split ticketing), I doubt this option will be available from a TVM.

Yorkie mentioned problems at Sheffield station, I was there last week, again buying split tickets, the staff member who served me could not have been more helpful, joking with me that I had done my homework!

 

[Kite159]

I normally use the ticket office or buy on board, (my local station has no purchasing facilities), I sometimes collect advance tickets booked online from a TVM, but the cheap advances on my regular journey seem as rare as hens teeth.

My journeys usually involve splits, some of them suggested by booking office staff, so using a TVM is not an option,(unless the split is at an interchange and you have enough time).

I live in Northern land and am dreading the installation of a TVM at my local station, on one of my journeys the train departs at 09:25, so I get an Anytime ticket to the next station , then get an Off Peak from there, (originally suggested to me by the guard, that's how I first learned the benefits of split ticketing), I doubt this option will be available from a TVM.

Yorkie mentioned problems at Sheffield station, I was there last week, again buying split tickets, the staff member who served me could not have been more helpful, joking with me that I had done my homework!

Assuming the TVM will do collections, the easiest way is to book your split tickets online and collect them from the machine

(My local SWR TVM helpfully does tickets from other locations, which comes in handy as I can do a Basingstoke split to save some money)

 

[Merseysider]

Ticket machines if at all possible.

Had too many bad experiences with Virgin West Coast ticket offices giving incorrect advice, refusing a sale, snatching my ticket wallet from my hand (!) to look closely at the railcard and being generally grumpy.

Plus, there are at least 20 ticket machines in Piccadilly station with queues that tend to move faster than the office

That said, the nice old chap at the other end of my commute, in Congleton ticket office, gets a bit of my business.

 

[Hadders]

I do buy some tickets online but I do like to try and support the excellent VTEC travel centre at Stevenage. I think Stevenage along with Euston, St Pancras, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central are the only remaining stations with ticket offices operated by different TOCs.

 

[theironroad]

I do buy some tickets online but I do like to try and support the excellent VTEC travel centre at Stevenage. I think Stevenage along with Euston, St Pancras, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central are the only remaining stations with ticket offices operated by different TOCs.

Wish I knew where the second Edinburgh one is??? I know the main one on the concourse in the waiting area, the only other one I thought was on the platform side of the barriers for incoming scotrail trains when passengers haven't been able to buy beforehand.

 

[Philip]

Just regarding split tickets and buying them from an office; both ticket office staff and guards are told by the train company to not offer split ticket options, only the appropriate through ticket for the journey being made.

They have a duty to sell split tickets if the customer asks for them and the split is valid (ie. the train is calling at the station where the ticket is being split), but not to offer of their own accord. So in this case they aren't being unhelpful if not offering the cheaper split option, just following the procedure.