RMT reveals rail industrys plan to close over a 1000 ticket offices

[Nicholas Lewis]

RMT has published a list of ticket office closures by TOC that they say will get closed down by TOCs.

https://www.rmt.org.uk/news/rmt-reveals-rail-industrys-plan-for-a-cull-of-ticket-offices/

They say

RMT understands that government has amended its guidance relating to changes to ticket office opening hours clearing the way for train operating companies to seek to cut or close the majority, if not all, ticket offices at rail stations across the country.

RMT believes that such far-reaching ticket offices cuts reflect the train companies’ goal of slashing thousands of station staff jobs. This will make the railway less safe, secure and accessible and create a ‘muggers paradise’ across the network.

Looking through the list for my area there would be any ticket offices open even at the two bigger stations. Now i suspect not all these will actually be closures more reduced staffing and hours and in reality that makes sense at certain times of the day but there are still a fair few people who queue up use the ticket window. Lets be clear most gateline staff who are near the machines don't have the knowledge that the ticket office staff have so they will need to upskill them unless the industry no longer bothered about passengers that aren't tech literate.

 

[Andyh82]

I'm sure that list is just a list of every single ticket office in the country?

i.e they don't know which ones it'll effect, so if we list all of them we'll be ok, and it'll generate maximum press coverage if the local press think Manchester Pic or Birmingham NS ticket offices are about to be closed

 

[skyhigh]

I'm sure that list is just a list of every single ticket office in the country?

i.e they don't know which ones it'll effect, so if we list all of them we'll be ok, and it'll generate maximum press coverage if the local press think Manchester Pic or Birmingham NS ticket offices are about to be closed

It has to be that, or they've lumped together every ticket office at risk of reduced hours with potential closures to give a bigger impact.

 

[LowLevel]

It's just an out of date list of all booking offices with a half hearted attempt at updating some items, presumably released to nudge all ticket office staff into voting yes in their current ballot/generate maximum publicity.

I think the only remaining ticket office in the East Midlands would be at Newark Castle if that list was current.

 

[Agent_Squash]

Every station that transferred to Northern back in 2016 is still listed under TPE... another effort from the RMT to stir the pot.

 

[Class360/1]

Just read the greater Anglia section and some have already closed; Dovercourt in 2018.

In regards to Colchester, the ticket office is always being used by someone whenever I visit. (1970’s part)

 

[DanNCL]

They have literally listed every single ticket office on the national rail network. They've got their heads even further up their backsides than I thought if they seriously think every single ticket office is at risk of permanent closure.

Are there any rules that prevent unions from deliberately misleading their members into voting for industrial action that they wouldn't vote for if presented with the true picture? If not, I think it's time Westminster introduced them and quickly. If the RMT get away with this, unions in other industries will follow suit and we'll end up with mass havoc across the country with almost everything.

 

[High Dyke]

They have literally listed every single ticket office on the national rail network. They've got their heads even further up their backsides than I thought if they seriously think every single ticket office is at risk of permanent closure.

Are there any rules that prevent unions from deliberately misleading their members into voting for industrial action that they wouldn't vote for if presented with the true picture? If not, I think it's time Westminster introduced them and quickly. If the RMT get away with this, unions in other industries will follow suit and we'll end up with mass havoc across the country with almost everything.

Yes, there will always be fallibilities in conveyance of accurate information, but is some form of legislation really necessary?

So, to turn this around. You are the trade union leader who has members in these ticket offices. You would want to protect the jobs and livelihood for those people. The employer goes ahead with closing ticket offices and you've sat and done nothing for the people affected. How good would that look?

 

[Agent_Squash]

So, to turn this around. You are the trade union leader who has members in these ticket offices. You would want to protect the jobs and livelihood for those people. The employer goes ahead with closing ticket offices and you've sat and done nothing for the people affected. How good would that look?

But they're hardly going to be closing the ticket office at Piccadilly tomorrow are they? The RMT have taken hyperbole to a new level.

 

[S&CLER]

No mention of Merseyrail in this list.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

Yes, there will always be fallibilities in conveyance of accurate information, but is some form of legislation really necessary?

So, to turn this around. You are the trade union leader who has members in these ticket offices. You would want to protect the jobs and livelihood for those people. The employer goes ahead with closing ticket offices and you've sat and done nothing for the people affected. How good would that look?

I doubt ’the employer’ is planning to close London Paddington’s ticket office though. Or Bristol Temple Meads. Or Plymouth. RMT harm their own campaign by going so ridiculously over the top, the actual medium-level risk (of closures at smaller/mid level stations) will get through by default.

 

[High Dyke]

But they're hardly going to be closing the ticket office at Piccadilly tomorrow are they? The RMT have taken hyperbole to a new level.

I doubt ’the employer’ is planning to close London Paddington’s ticket office though. Or Bristol Temple Meads. Or Plymouth. RMT harm their own campaign by going so ridiculously over the top, the actual medium-level risk (of closures at smaller/mid level stations) will get through by default.

No? What's to stop the employer / DfT / Government trying?

 

[Spartacus]

Totally ridiculous from the RMT, and it won't do them any favours with the general public, or with many rail workers, who'll just see it as silly, pointless list of most of the country's ticket offices.

They've got wind that ticket offices may be up for closure, but have absolutely no idea which, because their operators probably don't know which yet, so they've listed them all.

It's like hearing lines may be examined to see if any should be closed, but not knowing which they list them all, from the branch and freight lines to HS1!

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

No? What's to stop the employer / DfT / Government trying?

Show me hard evidence that DfT are planning to shut Paddington ticket office and I’ll eat the fares manual whole

 

[High Dyke]

Show me hard evidence that DfT are planning to shut Paddington ticket office and I’ll eat the fares manual whole

I could ask you to demonstrate that they aren't planning to close it, but that would be a waste of my time. Chomp chomp!

 

[Runningaround]

Are all TFW station saved?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm sure that list is just a list of every single ticket office in the country?

i.e they don't know which ones it'll effect, so if we list all of them we'll be ok, and it'll generate maximum press coverage if the local press think Manchester Pic or Birmingham NS ticket offices are about to be closed

Yep. Reads to me like they are twisting what has really happened, that is all staff on the relevant grades put "at risk of redundancy".

 

[dmncf]

DfT need to bite the bullet of fares simplification, but they never do. I can see the attraction of large scale ticket office closures, on a railway heavily dependent on government subsidy, but in my opinion it's not palatable while there's a big chunk of fares that are too complex to buy from a website or ticket vending machine.

 

[Flying Snail]

They have literally listed every single ticket office on the national rail network. They've got their heads even further up their backsides than I thought if they seriously think every single ticket office is at risk of permanent closure.

Are there any rules that prevent unions from deliberately misleading their members into voting for industrial action that they wouldn't vote for if presented with the true picture? If not, I think it's time Westminster introduced them and quickly. If the RMT get away with this, unions in other industries will follow suit and we'll end up with mass havoc across the country with almost everything.

That sounds perfectly reasonable. I propose this is introduced immediately after it is made a criminal offence with mandatory jailtime for elected officials and senior civil service officers to lie to the public.

 

[DanNCL]

Yes, there will always be fallibilities in conveyance of accurate information, but is some form of legislation really necessary?

When unions are lying on such an industrial scale with a deliberate attempt to cause mass havoc for the public solely for politcal gain then yes. Do you think the RMT would be doing this with a Labour government? No doubt they'd still be making a fuss but not to anywhere near the same level as the political incentive wouldn't be there.

So, to turn this around. You are the trade union leader who has members in these ticket offices. You would want to protect the jobs and livelihood for those people. The employer goes ahead with closing ticket offices and you've sat and done nothing for the people affected. How good would that look?

I'm not saying they shouldn't be doing anything at all, obviously at locations where jobs genuinely are at risk they should take a stand. But claims that ticket offices at places such as Kings Cross and New Street are going to close are utterly ridiculous, and are plainly lies from the RMT.

No? What's to stop the employer / DfT / Government trying?

The threat of the Lib Dems taking even more of the Blue wall in the next general election will make a difference.

Show me hard evidence that DfT are planning to shut Paddington ticket office and I’ll eat the fares manual whole

Not just the fares manual, I'd be eating every single penalty fares poster on the network too

That sounds perfectly reasonable. I propose this is introduced immediately after it is made a criminal offence with mandatory jailtime for elected officials and senior civil service officers to lie to the public.

Indeed, exactly what I had in mind.

 

[philthetube]

That sounds perfectly reasonable. I propose this is introduced immediately after it is made a criminal offence with mandatory jailtime for elected officials and senior civil service officers to lie to the public.

I hope you are including politicians in this

 

[ainsworth74]

I hope you are including politicians in this

Know many elected officials who aren't politicians?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

No mention of Merseyrail in this list.

The networks not under DfT control aren't on the list: TfW, Scotrail, Merseyrail.
That doesn't mean there are no plans for ticket office changes at those TOCs, but the decision will be a local one (by TfW, TS, Merseytravel).

 

[Spartacus]

DfT need to bite the bullet of fares simplification, but they never do. I can see the attraction of large scale ticket office closures, on a railway heavily dependent on government subsidy, but in my opinion it's not palatable while there's a big chunk of fares that are too complex to buy from a website or ticket vending machine.

We had fares simplification in West Yorkshire, what it meant was the withdrawal of a lot of cheap fares and an increase in restrictions. Be careful what you wish for.

 

[Flying Snail]

I hope you are including politicians in this

Maybe I wasn't clear enough, I am specifically talking about MPs and their senior Whitehall lackeys.

It is increasingly humorous to watch anti-union tory types demand standards in democracy and conduct from unions that the government from PM down are incapable of conforming with.

 

[nedchester]

DfT need to bite the bullet of fares simplification, but they never do. I can see the attraction of large scale ticket office closures, on a railway heavily dependent on government subsidy, but in my opinion it's not palatable while there's a big chunk of fares that are too complex to buy from a website or ticket vending machine.

Are you saying that those who work in ticket offices do know the different fares.

Some are very good but many haven’t a clue. It’s very hit and miss.

 

[Haywain]

RMT seem to be unaware that Dunbar ceased to be an LNER station something like 6 or 7 years ago. And reduced hours were introduced at LNER offices at the beginning of April.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Oldham Mumps is shown on the list of Northern stations. Suggest RMT go and try to find it (and the railway station) as it closed on 3rd October 2009.

Manchester Airport is on the TPE list. Have RMT ever watched the airport passengers from abroad with queries in the usual long queues there?

 

[Geeves]

No need to worry about Moorside, that already burnt down while it was open.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

No? What's to stop the employer / DfT / Government trying?

Nothing but RMTs approach over this and other issues isn't help the industry deal with the challenges ahead. At the moment Cash is is doing his utmost to foment a national strike which won't help anybody least of all his members. Its clear DfT are in combative mood and they ought to be clearing the air with the unions about the severity of the financial challenges and building a coalition with them and GBR transition team about how the industry reacts to the situation to ensure the network stays intact and majority of its members retain employment.