Railway ticket offices to close

[albie]

Another day, another barmy plan;
https://metro.co.uk/2023/07/05/transport-closing-railway-ticket-offices-could-leave-people-stranded-19073993/

It looks like Mick Lynch was right about this as well.

[danumdon]

I think Mick Lynch has been right about this all along but too many people were prepared to condemn him and any rail workers as greedy and undeserving.

I know some of the ticket office staff at Doncaster along with my sister who works there, on the whole they are well worth the pittance they are on as they sort out many issues for travellers and for vulnerable and older passengers who are not very tech savvy.

Its true that the vast majority of tickets are now brought on line/through the vending machines and the requirement for ticket office staff is not what it once was, but to shut them completely is in my opinion a backward step, i would say rationalise them by all means but maintain a presence for the ones mentioned above.

When the RDG say they will attempt to keep redundancy to a minimum and to relocate staff to platform customer service's jobs what they really mean is we will force you into these roles knowing that the vast majority will leave within 6 months due to that position being unsuitable to many as the aggro they have to put up with when services are disrupted is just a hiding to nothing for them.

By the time the RDG have completed their rationalisation of JD's and roles what will remain will be very sub par and a disincentive for the public to use the service, so in effect self defeating, or is this their ultimate aim?

[ravenrover]

The last time I used the ticket office was when I had been held up in traffic and missed my train. Expecting to have to pay for a new ticket, dreading the on the day price, I was asked why I had missed my train. I explained about being held up in traffic
Aah not really your fault then
the lady says here you go free replacement ticket for next London bound train.
I wonder if a ticket machine could do that  mmmmmmm ?

[Donnywolf]

This will be a Cheats Charter. People hardly pay now and will pay even less when the TOs close

[Sprotyrover]

Yes they will have to pay out more on staff at the exits from stations or go bust!

[danumdon]

Apparently Doncaster and Sheffield offices are staying open, for now. Barnsley and Rotherham closing.

[DRFC_AjA]

Loving the fact that almost every example given here is not what a ticket office does and generally just proves the point they are redundant. Helping with your bags, travel advice, getting a taxi is all needed away from the ticket office. But of course that would be the word all unionist fear... Modernization.

Our railways are an embarrassment in term of price for the tickets and operationally. Part not all of the reason is the constant resistance to change its laughable. Like I said in a previous post before roll on driverless trains and automated signalling and get the change resistant dinosaurs on the dole queue with the Royal mail staff 

[Filo]

Loving the fact that almost every example given here is not what a ticket office does and generally just proves the point they are redundant. Helping with your bags, travel advice, getting a taxi is all needed away from the ticket office. But of course that would be the word all unionist fear... Modernization.

Our railways are an embarrassment in term of price for the tickets and operationally. Part not all of the reason is the constant resistance to change its laughable. Like I said in a previous post before roll on driverless trains and automated signalling and get the change resistant dinosaurs on the dole queue with the Royal mail staff 

Yes, lets put more people on benefits, so folk like you can belittle them further!

[Glyn_Wigley]

Loving the fact that almost every example given here is not what a ticket office does and generally just proves the point they are redundant. Helping with your bags, travel advice, getting a taxi is all needed away from the ticket office. But of course that would be the word all unionist fear... Modernization.

Our railways are an embarrassment in term of price for the tickets and operationally. Part not all of the reason is the constant resistance to change its laughable. Like I said in a previous post before roll on driverless trains and automated signalling and get the change resistant dinosaurs on the dole queue with the Royal mail staff 

When can we get an automated bot to post for you and make you compeltely redundant?

[DRFC_AjA]

Its not about job losses its about efficiently using resources

You'd pay more for a bus ticket then, safe in the knowledge that the clippy is on board? You'd have the switchboard operator put you through rather than dial on your mobile?
 
The resistance to change and streamlining in this country is just laughable and embarrassing

[Glyn_Wigley]

You'd pay more for a bus ticket then, safe in the knowledge that the clippy is on board? You'd have the switchboard operator put you through rather than dial on your mobile?

Can either of them advise me the best train ticket to buy for me or tell me the most direct/quickest train route?

As for your shit switchboard operator analogy, now that Harrogate Council became part of the new North Yorkshire Council, instead of being able to dial any of the Harrogate Council workers directly person-to-person like I used to be able to and get through to them straightaway I now have to phone a North Yorkshire phone operator, wait for at least half an hour (if I'm lucky) and then get put through by them - not to the person I want to talk to that is dealing with my case, but to their department number where it will eventually be answered by any random person there. What annoys me even more is that the office they work in is less than 100 yards from my house.

When a change makes life harder and shittier, you bet I'm f**king resistant to it.

[danumdon]

Loving the fact that almost every example given here is not what a ticket office does and generally just proves the point they are redundant. Helping with your bags, travel advice, getting a taxi is all needed away from the ticket office. But of course that would be the word all unionist fear... Modernization.

Our railways are an embarrassment in term of price for the tickets and operationally. Part not all of the reason is the constant resistance to change its laughable. Like I said in a previous post before roll on driverless trains and automated signalling and get the change resistant dinosaurs on the dole queue with the Royal mail staff 

It must really rankle you that all the guff you spout has about as much chance of coming to fruition as me becoming PM.

As for getting the change resistant dinosaurs on the dole! for you to have such a downer on a group of workers I'm thinking your misses has done the dirty with a rail worker!

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Glyn, the point is your phone and AI could tell you that. That's the future.

We shouldn't fear progress embrace and use it in the right way.

[drfchound]

Many people don’t want change.

[Glyn_Wigley]

Glyn, the point is your phone and AI could tell you that. That's the future.

We shouldn't fear progress embrace and use it in the right way.

My phone and AI can tell me what?

Bearing in mind that I don't have the internet on my phone and I'm not sure what you understand AI to mean or how it would tell me anything.

[Glyn_Wigley]

Many people don’t want change.

I don't mind change. As long as it makes life better for me.

[DRFC_AjA]

Yes your phone, your Internet or the person in the concourse can tell you the quickest or cheapest route. You're just proving my point about dinosaurs. Someone being behind a screen and giving you a paper ticket is so 1990s its unbelievable. Why on earth can't that person be used somewhere else providing a better service

And a rail worker couldn't do the dirty on the missus behind my back he's too busy on the picket resisting change  and avoiding and kind of modernisation... She's bored of missionary and needs modernisation 

[drfchound]

Many people don’t want change.

I don't mind change. As long as it makes life better for me.

I wasn’t particularly referring to you Glyn, just a generalisation.
However, I agree with what you said there and that applies to me too.

[scawsby steve]

Loving the fact that almost every example given here is not what a ticket office does and generally just proves the point they are redundant. Helping with your bags, travel advice, getting a taxi is all needed away from the ticket office. But of course that would be the word all unionist fear... Modernization.

Our railways are an embarrassment in term of price for the tickets and operationally. Part not all of the reason is the constant resistance to change its laughable. Like I said in a previous post before roll on driverless trains and automated signalling and get the change resistant dinosaurs on the dole queue with the Royal mail staff 

It must really rankle you that all the guff you spout has about as much chance of coming to fruition as me becoming PM.

As for getting the change resistant dinosaurs on the dole! for you to have such a downer on a group of workers I'm thinking your misses has done the dirty with a rail worker!

To be honest, DD, he doesn't sound old enough to be married. Hence the dinosaur jokes.

I'll bet he thinks rap is better than all the music that's gone before.

[danumdon]

Loving the fact that almost every example given here is not what a ticket office does and generally just proves the point they are redundant. Helping with your bags, travel advice, getting a taxi is all needed away from the ticket office. But of course that would be the word all unionist fear... Modernization.

Our railways are an embarrassment in term of price for the tickets and operationally. Part not all of the reason is the constant resistance to change its laughable. Like I said in a previous post before roll on driverless trains and automated signalling and get the change resistant dinosaurs on the dole queue with the Royal mail staff 

It must really rankle you that all the guff you spout has about as much chance of coming to fruition as me becoming PM.

As for getting the change resistant dinosaurs on the dole! for you to have such a downer on a group of workers I'm thinking your misses has done the dirty with a rail worker!

To be honest, DD, he doesn't sound old enough to be married. Hence the dinosaur jokes.

I'll bet he thinks rap is better than all the music that's gone before.

When reading his posts i'm thinking Lord Farquaad from the Shrek movies comes to mind.

[Glyn_Wigley]

Yes your phone, your Internet or the person in the concourse can tell you the quickest or cheapest route.

Do please tell me how my phone can tell me anything considering (a) I don't use my phone for anything like that as even a smartphone is too small and fiddly for me to use other than as a phone and (b) as I have already said I don't have the internet on it partly because of (a) but also because I'm not paying not to use something on my phone that I can do on my laptop at home where I can use as much internet as I like without it costing any extra.

And before you go throwing the dinosaur resistant to change technophobe bullshit around again, I bought my first computer in 1982, before most people even knew about home computers.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

That's all choice though Glyn, it's not that you can't do those things you just don't want to.  The cost of mobile data is tiny and you'll find nearly every major station has WiFi aswell.

[idler]

The problem that I find with AI is that if you have a query that isn’t a straight yes or no answer you can’t get to the nub of your enquiry.
When you speak to a human being you can explain your issue and it can usually be resolved there and then. There is nothing worse than having a list of frequently asked problems and yours isn’t on the list.

[Glyn_Wigley]

That's all choice though Glyn, it's not that you can't do those things you just don't want to. The cost of mobile data is tiny and you'll find nearly every major station has WiFi aswell.

What the hell have I just bloody written??

Oh, and the cost of data is not tiny to someone on disability. Everything extra little cost has to be weighed very carefully. I'm on an limited calls and texts plan with no data that costs £6 a month. How much do you reckon extra it would cost me, even if I could use it?

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

That's all choice though Glyn, it's not that you can't do those things you just don't want to. The cost of mobile data is tiny and you'll find nearly every major station has WiFi aswell.

What the hell have I just bloody written??

Oh, and the cost of data is not tiny to someone on disability. Everything extra little cost has to be weighed very carefully. I'm on an limited calls and texts plan with no data that costs £6 a month. How much do you reckon extra it would cost me, even if I could use it?

You can get a 5gb data plan, unlimited calls, texts etc for £4.99 a month, better than what you already pay, I think you're over-paying.  Give the link below a go and you might change your view and save a few quid.

https://www.moneysupermarket.com/mobile-phones/sim-only/

[Glyn_Wigley]

That's all choice though Glyn, it's not that you can't do those things you just don't want to. The cost of mobile data is tiny and you'll find nearly every major station has WiFi aswell.

What the hell have I just bloody written??

Oh, and the cost of data is not tiny to someone on disability. Everything extra little cost has to be weighed very carefully. I'm on an limited calls and texts plan with no data that costs £6 a month. How much do you reckon extra it would cost me, even if I could use it?

You can get a 5gb data plan, unlimited calls, texts etc for £4.99 a month, better than what you already pay, I think you're over-paying.  Give the link below a go and you might change your view and save a few quid.

https://www.moneysupermarket.com/mobile-phones/sim-only/

Very nice, I'll have to have a look. The data is still no use to me though.

[ravenrover]

As long as it's not Newark ticket office .
Now I wonder which person is MP for Newark
https://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/news/mp-shares-residents-ticket-office-closure-concerns-at-meeti-9325702/

[tommy toes]

Mrs T and me went to Newark the other day on the train. There was a long queue at the ticket office at Donny, we nearly missed our train.
Got to Newark Northgate and it was deserted, bothh when we got there and on the way back.
No doubt Jenrick will get his way, as he did with the town fund money.
Despicable bloke.

[Donnywolf]

Quite apt he's mp for Newark or 341625 as I call it