Traf Posted August 19, 2023 Share Posted August 19, 2023 It's official - Train operators have announced plans to close nearly 1,000 ticket offices. We have until 1st September to take part in the public consultation. Can you take two minutes to respond to your train company’s consultation and object to the closure of ticket offices? The RMT has prepared template letters for each train operator. 🚆 Please have your say 👉 https://www.rmt.org.uk/campaigns/rail/save-ticket-offices/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Zico Posted August 19, 2023 Moderators Share Posted August 19, 2023 If they close ticket offices they need to stop fining folk for not having tickets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Site Supporter Tonge moor green jacket Posted August 20, 2023 Site Supporter Share Posted August 20, 2023 11 hours ago, Zico said: If they close ticket offices they need to stop fining folk for not having tickets Goodbye to trains in fairly short order then. Fwiw, it's not right closing all offices, but if they're barely used then something has to give. Online ticket sales would have to cover the wages of staff which is their argument now I suppose. Spread those wage costs around though and it probably doesnt add much to the price of a ticket. Simplifying the whole ticketing system is needed- just reading travel discussions on here and it's a bloody minefield. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leyther_Matt Posted August 20, 2023 Share Posted August 20, 2023 3 hours ago, Tonge moor green jacket said: Simplifying the whole ticketing system is needed- just reading travel discussions on here and it's a bloody minefield. You can guarantee that will be via the most lucrative route rather than the simplest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Site Supporter Tonge moor green jacket Posted August 20, 2023 Site Supporter Share Posted August 20, 2023 7 minutes ago, Leyther_Matt said: You can guarantee that will be via the most lucrative route rather than the simplest Oh aye, but that's the bizarre bit, keeping it simple you'd expect would need fewer boffins and/or less hardware creating stupid systems with their own cost. I'm increasingly disillusioned with "systems" in all sorts of industries. My lad sent his gcse results "certificate" to his prospective university ages ago. Heard nowt. Gets his a levels, they've got them no problem, and his accommodation place is sorted. Then they say that because his certificate contains several subjects, they say they can't accept it. Supposedly needs a document with just "maths" listed on it! Obvious question is why? But why so late, and why can't the people there accommodate it into their system? Can't speak to anyone of course; it's so, so poor. His sixth form experience was bad, and already he's wondering "what the fuck"- and I've got to say I don't blame him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonzo Posted August 20, 2023 Share Posted August 20, 2023 Just dont understand why every station doesn't have barriers like the tube where you can scan your bank card, phone or pre bought ticket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MancWanderer Posted August 20, 2023 Share Posted August 20, 2023 2 minutes ago, gonzo said: Just dont understand why every station doesn't have barriers like the tube where you can scan your bank card, phone or pre bought ticket. Or like the tram in Manc. Came out of OT cricket ground after an Ashes game. Tapped my card at the station, tapped again at Piccadilly. Charge appeared next day. Couldn’t get on the tram without tapping in. If I hadn’t tapped out at Piccadilly I’d have been charged a much bigger fare. Not difficult really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Site Supporter Tonge moor green jacket Posted August 20, 2023 Site Supporter Share Posted August 20, 2023 22 minutes ago, MancWanderer said: Or like the tram in Manc. Came out of OT cricket ground after an Ashes game. Tapped my card at the station, tapped again at Piccadilly. Charge appeared next day. Couldn’t get on the tram without tapping in. If I hadn’t tapped out at Piccadilly I’d have been charged a much bigger fare. Not difficult really. Not been on the tram for yonks- is that any credit/debit card, or is it a specific payment job issued by GMPTE? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Site Supporter Cheese Posted August 20, 2023 Site Supporter Share Posted August 20, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, Tonge moor green jacket said: Not been on the tram for yonks- is that any credit/debit card, or is it a specific payment job issued by GMPTE? Any contactless debit/credit card. 99% sure you can use your phone too if you've got it set up with google wallet/apple pay etc. Edited August 20, 2023 by Cheese Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MancWanderer Posted August 20, 2023 Share Posted August 20, 2023 1 hour ago, Tonge moor green jacket said: Not been on the tram for yonks- is that any credit/debit card, or is it a specific payment job issued by GMPTE? As Cheese says basically any form of contactless payment - I used a card, daughter used her phone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Site Supporter Tonge moor green jacket Posted August 20, 2023 Site Supporter Share Posted August 20, 2023 Well isn't milk brill! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leyther_Matt Posted August 20, 2023 Share Posted August 20, 2023 40 minutes ago, MancWanderer said: As Cheese says basically any form of contactless payment - I used a card, daughter used her phone Make sure you use the same format when tapping tin/out though as it doesn’t recognise as the same card if you do one with the physical card and then use your phone for the either, even if it’s effectively from the same card (same on Tube tbf) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MancWanderer Posted August 20, 2023 Share Posted August 20, 2023 31 minutes ago, Leyther_Matt said: Make sure you use the same format when tapping tin/out though as it doesn’t recognise as the same card if you do one with the physical card and then use your phone for the either, even if it’s effectively from the same card (same on Tube tbf) Good to know that 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Site Supporter FrancisFogarty Posted August 20, 2023 Site Supporter Share Posted August 20, 2023 It doesn't seem two minutes since they were trying to get rid of guards. Is this a consequence of that, or are there still guards? I can't remember if there was one on the pizza express to Euston. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc505 Posted August 20, 2023 Share Posted August 20, 2023 Bane of my fucking life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radcliffe white Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 Times are moving barriers work absolutely fine and if I’m honest in my experience ticket office staff are pretty clueless anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Carlos Posted August 21, 2023 Moderators Share Posted August 21, 2023 I've not got a train from Bolton for years now. I cba with having to get a ticket, I can't waste the time and risk missing the train. Fuck them off for me. I started getting the Metrolink instead, can buy my ticket though a simple app or they've got card readers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Site Supporter Spider Posted August 21, 2023 Site Supporter Share Posted August 21, 2023 Haven't used a ticket office for years, see no reason to in the future either. Getting rid of guards on trains though, that's fucking lunacy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Site Supporter Tonge moor green jacket Posted August 21, 2023 Site Supporter Share Posted August 21, 2023 41 minutes ago, Spider said: Haven't used a ticket office for years, see no reason to in the future either. Getting rid of guards on trains though, that's fucking lunacy AI operated robo-guards. With a big twatting stick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Site Supporter Winchester White Posted August 21, 2023 Site Supporter Share Posted August 21, 2023 1 hour ago, Carlos said: I've not got a train from Bolton for years now. I cba with having to get a ticket, I can't waste the time and risk missing the train. Fuck them off for me. I started getting the Metrolink instead, can buy my ticket though a simple app or they've got card readers. Just use the trainline app, does split tickets etc and gives you your qr code tickets for scanning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not in Crawley Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 I actually do really care about this one for our local station and we have tap in tap out (Manc - if you aren't using your phone - why not? Just sent up a card are your default specialist travel payment) Anyway, in these days of less community stuff our local ticket office is fantastic. They run Family Fun Days at the station, they give our free bacon butties once in a while (well they did until some misery complianed because they didn't know if the meat was Halal) run a party for young kids at Halloween that raises money for local kids cancer charity (someone also moaned about that because it wasn't Christian! - made the Daily Mail that one...https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11365795/Railway-stations-charity-Halloween-display-close-customer-says-Christian.html ) put up a huge Christmas display, run a local 'Krufts' each summer for local dog owners and their muts. They really try and make something of a small local station and community. Denise is a leading light of the local community and it'd be a shame to see it shut. On a practical basis I always buy the kids tickets from the office as they always work out a cheaper split ticket rather than the machine which just gives you the basic return/single and costs more. More automation and less actual people, sad to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Carlos Posted August 21, 2023 Moderators Share Posted August 21, 2023 40 minutes ago, Winchester White said: Just use the trainline app, does split tickets etc and gives you your qr code tickets for scanning. No one is doing this 3 or 4 times a week into Manc. I can do that for London or whatever, it's not a solution for daily commuting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MancWanderer Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 1 hour ago, Not in Crawley said: I actually do really care about this one for our local station and we have tap in tap out (Manc - if you aren't using your phone - why not? Just sent up a card are your default specialist travel payment) Habit. No other reason tbh. I have the cards in the wallet on my phone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globaldiver Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 Have they said that the staff will be redeployed at the stations? If so, then they should be more useful for more of the time, as they spend v little time selling tickets. The digital offering will need to improve, as finding the best ticket isn’t always as easy online as with a real person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Zico Posted August 21, 2023 Moderators Share Posted August 21, 2023 4 hours ago, Spider said: Haven't used a ticket office for years, see no reason to in the future either. Getting rid of guards on trains though, that's fucking lunacy 4 hours ago, Carlos said: I've not got a train from Bolton for years now. I cba with having to get a ticket, I can't waste the time and risk missing the train. Fuck them off for me. I started getting the Metrolink instead, can buy my ticket though a simple app or they've got card readers. Issue I had was when I caught trains from Piccadilly after work to the other halfs years ago was - ticket office too busy to queue buy and catch train ,- ticket machine doesn't actually sell cheap evening return tickets - the guard at the platform let me on without ticket and told me to get one on train - I didn't see the conductor on the train Then at the other end two guards checking tickets told me I should have bought one and gave me a fine Took a few appeals but finally got the fine over turned They've got the act together a lot better these days with more ticket barriers and guards manning them But they still need to make it as easy as possible to buy a ticket or let you buy one at your destination and not instantly want to do fine anyone without a ticket Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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