How many stations would benfit from restoring manned ticket offices?

[70014IronDuke]

From the Hope Valley thread, discussing the service between Dore & Totley and Sheffield:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/hope-valley-capacity-scheme.168285/

... Unfortunately Northern don't even collect all the revenue they should. The TVM is often out of service (it was this morning). Sheffield is an ungated station and few conductors manage to check all have paid in the short journey - in either direction. ... t

According to the ORR figures, Dore got 165,000 entries/exiits in the 2016-17 year, but obviously this is fewer than reality. It made me wonder at what point is it worth re-instating a ticket office at such a station? I realise that such a move would involve significant costs - both in fixed assets (the office) and running it (the staff) - and in the case of Dore, maybe it's just not worth it for the increased fare take (presumably, for the most part, for fares to Sheffield and back, rather than Manchester).

But surely, at some stations usage figures have gone up so much that TOCs must consider such moves, if only for one shift? Has it been done much?

 

[ag51ruk]

I think that the growth in ticket machines, mobile tickets and smartcards is likely to mean fewer ticket offices rather than new ones.

However we may see staff return to stations which don't have them or for longer than today, to provide customers service or reassurance (more staffing on stations does seem to reduce crime - or at least the fear of crime). London Overground have been the frontrunners in first-to-last train staffing, and I believe the Northern franchise includes additional staffing at stations.

 

[Killingworth]

From the Hope Valley thread, discussing the service between Dore & Totley and Sheffield:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/hope-valley-capacity-scheme.168285/



According to the ORR figures, Dore got 165,000 entries/exiits in the 2016-17 year, but obviously this is fewer than reality. It made me wonder at what point is it worth re-instating a ticket office at such a station? I realise that such a move would involve significant costs - both in fixed assets (the office) and running it (the staff) - and in the case of Dore, maybe it's just not worth it for the increased fare take (presumably, for the most part, for fares to Sheffield and back, rather than Manchester).

But surely, at some stations usage figures have gone up so much that TOCs must consider such moves, if only for one shift? Has it been done much?

At Dore & Totley Northern have half recognised the issue and are sending out two revenue protection people from 6.30 until 10.00 on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays only. They have no protection from wind, rain, ice and snow, having to stand in the open, as much as possible under a large conifer tree. The old station building is now an Indian restaurant only open in the evenings. Calls of nature are attended to during the long gap betweeen the services into Sheffield at 8.28 and 9.58, by which they return into Sheffield. Fortunately the Summer House cafe and restaurant lower down the car park opens at 8.30 to sell an expensive coffee! It's a bit make it up as you go along!

At the time of this photograph users had the benefit of a mobile coffee van but the bad winter finally killed that off when the old van gave up the struggle against the elements.

 

[Gareth Marston]

I'm a Station Agent at a station with a similar footfall. My comments to the debate will be Internet ticket purchaser need more customer service than others and despite having bought their tickets on the internet expect staff presence to help them. A lot of time can be taken with dealing with members of the public who think railway stations are provided with free public toilets. A lot of time is also taken up listening to whining when the free car parking spaces are all taken, there's approximately 300 spaces across the road but you have to pay. Point being a manned booking office is not solely about selling tickets.

 

[LowLevel]

I think that the growth in ticket machines, mobile tickets and smartcards is likely to mean fewer ticket offices rather than new ones.

However we may see staff return to stations which don't have them or for longer than today, to provide customers service or reassurance (more staffing on stations does seem to reduce crime - or at least the fear of crime). London Overground have been the frontrunners in first-to-last train staffing, and I believe the Northern franchise includes additional staffing at stations.

London Overground were Johnny Come Latelies - Merseytravel area stations have been staffed from first train to last for a long time.

With the exception of a few unmanned halts West Midlands PTE were very good as well. That is until the wasters at London Midland saw an opportunity to save a few quid having had the PTE removed from the franchise oversight process after Central Trains finished and ripped that to pieces, completely destaffing several locations and effectively removing from the others bar the odd few hours here and there.

You now have the stupid situation where a station being pushed as an interchange with 4 platforms and quite a confusing layout on two levels (Smethwick Galton Bridge) has gone from being staffed full time to being unmanned entirely after 1300 most days.

 

[eastdyke]

I don't know when Newark Castle TO was shut under BR but the (Grade II listed) old station building was renovated 2015/16. Part was used to re-open the TO from 2016.
The core service has been strengthened to 2tph Nottingham (mostly 1 Leicester and 1 Matlock) to go with the 1tph Lincoln. Sunday services now start at a usable time on Sunday mornings too.

Station entries/exits are now over 750,000pa up from little more than one third of that 2012/13.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Brighouse would as its a major interchange for users from East Lancashire who work in Huddersfield.
Where to put in a ticket office is anyones guess.

Similar could be said for Mirfield and Batley.

 

[Spartacus]

Batley does at least still have station buildings that are occasionally used, I think as a small shop/tearoom.

 

[Revilo]

I think Clifton Down on the Severn Beach branch should be re-staffed. In 2016/17 it had 0.7 million passengers. In comparison, Worle station (also in the Bristol travel-to-work area) was restaffed in the morning peak a few years ago, initially on an experimental basis, and had less than half that number, at 0.3 million passengers.

 

[Clayton]

I'm a Station Agent at a station with a similar footfall. My comments to the debate will be Internet ticket purchaser need more customer service than others and despite having bought their tickets on the internet expect staff presence to help them. A lot of time can be taken with dealing with members of the public who think railway stations are provided with free public toilets. A lot of time is also taken up listening to whining when the free car parking spaces are all taken, there's approximately 300 spaces across the road but you have to pay. Point being a manned booking office is not solely about selling tickets.

They are provided with free public toilets, arent they? Or will be soon - I’m sure I heard they would all become free

 

[Down The Track]

The answer to your question is simple: yes.

London Overground have been pretty good at staffing stations from the first train to the last, staffing stations would inevitably reduce crime at stations - in some areas, the cost of maintaining the stations, removing graffiti, mending damage (not that some TOCs seem to bother to do these things) is probably more than having single member of staff at the station from the first train to the last.

However, I don't think that having the ticket office manned specifically would benefit many stations, as most stations now have ticket machines. Instead, I feel that there should me a member of staff who "patrols" the station, helps customers, answers questions, keeps the station tidy, makes PA announcements, checks tickets etc. This could also greatly help improve station accessibility - as those in wheelchairs who require assistance could just "turn up and go".

 

[sharpley]

The answer to your question is simple: yes.

London Overground have been pretty good at staffing stations from the first train to the last, staffing stations would inevitably reduce crime at stations - in some areas, the cost of maintaining the stations, removing graffiti, mending damage (not that some TOCs seem to bother to do these things) is probably more than having single member of staff at the station from the first train to the last.

However, I don't think that having the ticket office manned specifically would benefit many stations, as most stations now have ticket machines. Instead, I feel that there should me a member of staff who "patrols" the station, helps customers, answers questions, keeps the station tidy, makes PA announcements, checks tickets etc. This could also greatly help improve station accessibility - as those in wheelchairs who require assistance could just "turn up and go".

I noticed a few days ago that there is now a security 'guard' located on the southbound platforms of the LO / Bakerloo line stations from Harrow to Queens Park. This was in the daytime so not sure exactly what their role is.

 

[The Ham]

Forty two.

 

[leytongabriel]

Major programme going the other way on the the SNCF now. Booking office staff on one-year contracts

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Batley does at least still have station buildings that are occasionally used, I think as a small shop/tearoom.

The buildings at Batley were a shop years ago, which didn't last long and sat abandoned for around 10 years before FOBS (Friends of Batley Station) took over a few years ago and turned it into what it is now: essentially a meeting room for the group, and refreshment space when they're tending the flower beds. I've never seen it open to the public, though there were workers accessing the other half of the building last week, so something might be going on.

The FOBS group have done a really good job of making the station a bit more welcoming, with the flower beds, murals and "yarn-bombing" displays, along with a memorial to Jo Cox on the Leeds-bound platform. They're apparently on Facebook (I'm not) and do post paper updates at the station every so often with details of meetings.

If they managed to arrange just one meeting that didn't clash with the football, I would probably go along!