Fears that it could be the end of the line for Penrith railway station ticket office have sparked plans for a day of action by campaigners.
Along with Appleby station and many others, Penrith is under threat of losing staff and facilities as train operator Avanti West Coast seeks to “modernise” its services.
Penrith sits on the West Coast main line and serves thousands of passengers each year — from regular commuters and business travellers to holidaymakers and those visiting large scale events such as the Kendal Calling and Winter Droving festivals.
Today, the country’s largest rail union RMT is organising a save ticket offices day of action to galvanise support, and campaigners will be out in force handing out leaflets outside the station at Penrith.
Craig Johnston, who is the lead officer for Avanti West Coast for the RMT, said ticket offices all over the country – including Penrith and Appleby – were under threat.
He said the Government and the train operating companies had made it clear that it is their intention to close them all.
A public outcry over the proposals prompted train operators to say they will “repurpose” some of the ticket offices, but what that means in practice remains unclear.
One suggestion is that there will be a member of staff on the platform at certain times of the day who will be able to point people to an automatic ticket machine. “But the main ticket offices will all close,” said Mr Johnston.
At present, two or three people work daily in the Penrith ticket office on a shift basis, with more staff on the platform, said Mr Johnston.
There are concerns that not only could those individuals be made redundant, but the ticket office facility would be permanently lost.
“I don’t think the industry can tell us yet what the full impact on passengers is going to be, but what they are trying to move to is an industry where we don’t use cash very often,” said Mr Johnston.
Problems would also be presented for travellers using railcards. “You probably won’t be able to purchase railcards at these stations going forward because there won’t be a ticket office to sell them and someone with an iPad on the platform won’t be able to process that. All that would probably have to be done online, or they would have to give you some sort of system where you could go to the nearest hub, which might be miles away.
“They are talking about having 150 hubs initially and then going down to about 50 hubs in a short period of time,” said Mr Johnston.
He added: “It’s really difficult to see how people will be able to book assistance, whether that’s disabled assistance, elderly person’s assistance, or even things like booking a bike on a train.
“All those things are going to be really challenging and also just not having someone to talk to for much of the time. At the moment you know you can go to the ticket office and talk something through with someone, whether that’s to get an understanding about connections or fares or whatever.
“That facility is going to be slowly but surely withdrawn and the ticket offices physically closing is the start of that happening.”
Ken Harper, of Penrith, who was traffic manager for the area including town’s railway station from 1975 to 1989, said there was still a place for ticket offices, for giving out advice and assisting on the platform where necessary.
“That is what they do at Penrith now. They don’t just sit in the ticket office all the time. If they are required outside on the platform, ie when there’s two trains, one on each platform, they go out and help. If there’s a person who requires assistance that the other two can’t deal with, they will go and deal with that.”
A rail commuter who uses Penrith station regularly told the Herald: “The ticket office is a vital part of the service at Penrith. When people are travelling and away from home it can be stressful. They need a person who can talk to them, can answer their questions and help them get the right tickets, the right connections and get them where they need to be.
“Penrith rail staff are well known for being friendly and helpful and going the extra mile for the people using the station. Customers value that level of service, and why should they lose it?”
A spokesman for Avanti West Coast, which operates Penrith station, said: “The rail industry is currently in discussion with trade unions and government over proposals to modernise the railway to make it more efficient and better able to respond to changing customer demand.
“The future role of ticket offices is one area included as part of this. However, it is important to stress that no decisions have yet been taken as everything is at a very early stage.
“More broadly, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated changes to rail travel patterns and how people use train stations.
“It is important that train operators recognise and respond to this trend, so that we are effectively delivering value to taxpayers, whilst of course meeting the evolving needs of all passenger demographics.
“Ultimately, customers will always be integral to the railway’s success and whatever happens in the future regarding how they interact with Avanti stations, there will always be a major emphasis on encouraging, welcoming and assisting people of all ages to travel by train.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “It’s absurd to suggest we want to see every booking office closed. The reality is that ticket offices have seen a significant decline in passenger use over the last decade yet numbers have not substantially changed since then.
“Staff will always provide face-to-face services on the railways, which can be crucial for those who need additional support and cannot, or do not want to, use contactless or mobile tickets.”
RMT general secretary Michael Lynch said the real agenda was to cut station staffing and protect profits.
“The companies have given no guarantees that staff will still be present at stations under their proposals.
“When the train companies submit their final proposals, there will be just three weeks for the public to respond to their consultations. Therefore, we need to act now to protect the long-term future of ticket offices.
“We are therefore asking branches to support a day of action on today at stations around the country to get the message out to passengers that the future of their ticket office is at risk.”
