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Post by ibus246 on Oct 31, 2023 10:59:23 GMT
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Post by greenboy on Oct 31, 2023 12:14:44 GMT
So the rail industry remains in the 1960s, this 'victory' for the RMT just kicks the can down the road and inevitably this will come up again after the next election whoever is in office.
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Post by southlondon413 on Oct 31, 2023 12:27:29 GMT
So the rail industry remains in the 1960s, this 'victory' for the RMT just kicks the can down the road and inevitably this will come up again after the next election whoever is in office. Personally I think the solution is to have ticket office staff on concourses or in former ticket areas with the same machines guards carry to issue tickets on trains. There is no technology that can’t be done on an iPad or a computer that couldn’t be translated to a portable ticket machine.
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Post by ibus246 on Oct 31, 2023 14:32:15 GMT
So the rail industry remains in the 1960s, this 'victory' for the RMT just kicks the can down the road and inevitably this will come up again after the next election whoever is in office. Exactly. And it was very well people posting pictures all over Twitter of a long queue at a ticket office and then machines standing empty, however I could post 100s of pictures of the ticket office employee sitting there doing nothing and gazing out from behind the glass. What a waste of money paying someone to sit they’re doing nothing and that person is restricted to that role only.
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Post by wirewiper on Oct 31, 2023 15:03:27 GMT
So the rail industry remains in the 1960s, this 'victory' for the RMT just kicks the can down the road and inevitably this will come up again after the next election whoever is in office. Exactly. And it was very well people posting pictures all over Twitter of a long queue at a ticket office and then machines standing empty, however I could post 100s of pictures of the ticket office employee sitting there doing nothing and gazing out from behind the glass. What a waste of money paying someone to sit they’re doing nothing and that person is restricted to that role only. At my local station the ticket office often closes briefly when a London-bound train is about to depart, so the staff can perform dispatch duties and direct passengers with reservations to the correct part of the train. They may also close if customer assistance has been requested on an arriving or departing train. So it is possible for ticket office staff to work more flexibly. I live in a town where the average age is considerably older than the UK as a whole, and the proportion of tickets bought at the ticket window for journeys commencing at the station is considerably higher than the 12% quoted (it is nearer 40%).
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Post by Eastlondoner62 on Oct 31, 2023 15:05:48 GMT
Exactly. And it was very well people posting pictures all over Twitter of a long queue at a ticket office and then machines standing empty, however I could post 100s of pictures of the ticket office employee sitting there doing nothing and gazing out from behind the glass. What a waste of money paying someone to sit they’re doing nothing and that person is restricted to that role only. At my local station the ticket office often closes briefly when a London-bound train is about to depart, so the staff can perform dispatch duties. They may also close if customer assistance has been requested on an arriving or departing train. I live in a town where the average age is considerably older than the UK as a whole, and the proportion of tickets bought at the ticket window for journeys commencing at the station is considerably higher than the 12% quoted (it is nearer 40%). Older people can learn how to use a ticket machine, age isn't a barrier.
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Post by wirewiper on Oct 31, 2023 15:13:51 GMT
At my local station the ticket office often closes briefly when a London-bound train is about to depart, so the staff can perform dispatch duties. They may also close if customer assistance has been requested on an arriving or departing train. I live in a town where the average age is considerably older than the UK as a whole, and the proportion of tickets bought at the ticket window for journeys commencing at the station is considerably higher than the 12% quoted (it is nearer 40%). Older people can learn how to use a ticket machine, age isn't a barrier. It doesn't help that my local station only has one ticket machine. There is also a lot more the railway could do down my way to make things easier for everybody. Simplified fare structures /zonal fares and ticket machines for local journeys (i.e. within Devon and Cornwall), London-style tap-in-tap-out.
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Post by greenboy on Oct 31, 2023 15:26:03 GMT
At my local station the ticket office often closes briefly when a London-bound train is about to depart, so the staff can perform dispatch duties. They may also close if customer assistance has been requested on an arriving or departing train. I live in a town where the average age is considerably older than the UK as a whole, and the proportion of tickets bought at the ticket window for journeys commencing at the station is considerably higher than the 12% quoted (it is nearer 40%). Older people can learn how to use a ticket machine, age isn't a barrier. I agree, seems to plenty of older people flying on budget airlines and presumably they all managed to book online? I doubt if they all got their grandchildren to do it?
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Post by SILENCED on Oct 31, 2023 15:53:36 GMT
Older people can learn how to use a ticket machine, age isn't a barrier. I agree, seems to plenty of older people flying on budget airlines and presumably they all managed to book online? I doubt if they all got their grandchildren to do it? If they are anything like my mum they do. Getting her to do anything online is a painful experience, although she does occasionally surprise me, as with her driving licence renewal.
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Post by matthieu1221 on Oct 31, 2023 16:55:08 GMT
At my local station the ticket office often closes briefly when a London-bound train is about to depart, so the staff can perform dispatch duties. They may also close if customer assistance has been requested on an arriving or departing train. I live in a town where the average age is considerably older than the UK as a whole, and the proportion of tickets bought at the ticket window for journeys commencing at the station is considerably higher than the 12% quoted (it is nearer 40%). Older people can learn how to use a ticket machine, age isn't a barrier. I think there are a few prerequisites that were skipped before proposing the closure of ticket offices: 1. Ensuring better ticket machine reliability (this is a broad as making sure they are actually functional, the touch screen functional, and their data updated when needed which is not always the case) -- and in some stations, more ticket machines (and in better locations, why outside the station in the rain at times?)
2. Fare simplification. Ticket office staff can be very helpful in getting you the best ticket for the best price which sometimes you wouldn't figure out on a TVM. It would also generally be a much better experience overall to have simpler fares.
3. Expansion of contactless and similar tech to reduce queues at machines
Personally, I don't understand the view that staff with an iPad by the ticket gates should replace ticket offices. You're still paying someone (maybe less?) to do less than what a ticket office can do. I hold the same view regarding LU where there's still staff by law at underground stations who are being paid yet can do less than a ticket office. What's the point?
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Post by Eastlondoner62 on Oct 31, 2023 17:07:37 GMT
Older people can learn how to use a ticket machine, age isn't a barrier. I think there are a few prerequisites that were skipped before proposing the closure of ticket offices: 1. Ensuring better ticket machine reliability (this is a broad as making sure they are actually functional, the touch screen functional, and their data updated when needed which is not always the case) -- and in some stations, more ticket machines (and in better locations, why outside the station in the rain at times?)
2. Fare simplification. Ticket office staff can be very helpful in getting you the best ticket for the best price which sometimes you wouldn't figure out on a TVM. It would also generally be a much better experience overall to have simpler fares.
3. Expansion of contactless and similar tech to reduce queues at machines
Personally, I don't understand the view that staff with an iPad by the ticket gates should replace ticket offices. You're still paying someone (maybe less?) to do less than what a ticket office can do. I hold the same view regarding LU where there's still staff by law at underground stations who are being paid yet can do less than a ticket office. What's the point?
They can do more outside a ticket office such as actually assisting customers on the concourse.
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Post by WH241 on Oct 31, 2023 17:52:50 GMT
I think there are a few prerequisites that were skipped before proposing the closure of ticket offices: 1. Ensuring better ticket machine reliability (this is a broad as making sure they are actually functional, the touch screen functional, and their data updated when needed which is not always the case) -- and in some stations, more ticket machines (and in better locations, why outside the station in the rain at times?)
2. Fare simplification. Ticket office staff can be very helpful in getting you the best ticket for the best price which sometimes you wouldn't figure out on a TVM. It would also generally be a much better experience overall to have simpler fares.
3. Expansion of contactless and similar tech to reduce queues at machines
Personally, I don't understand the view that staff with an iPad by the ticket gates should replace ticket offices. You're still paying someone (maybe less?) to do less than what a ticket office can do. I hold the same view regarding LU where there's still staff by law at underground stations who are being paid yet can do less than a ticket office. What's the point?
They can do more outside a ticket office such as actually assisting customers on the concourse. Not worked that well at my local tube station where staff tend to hide away in the corner talking amongst themselves. On Saturday they never even challenged a group going through the wide barrier without touching out.
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Post by vjaska on Oct 31, 2023 18:54:20 GMT
Older people can learn how to use a ticket machine, age isn't a barrier. 1. Ensuring better ticket machine reliability (this is a broad as making sure they are actually functional, the touch screen functional, and their data updated when needed which is not always the case) -- and in some stations, more ticket machines (and in better locations, why outside the station in the rain at times?)
This is an important point you've made - whilst I've no side in this as I very rarely use ticket offices but don't have an issue with them existing, it should be noted that just like in supermarkets with self service machines, ticket machines be it on a station concourse or in the hand of a member of staff have questionable reliability and so whenever ticket offices are dispensed with, this has to be improved greatly IMO as well as (on a separate point), have the ability to stock all tickets that can be obtained from a ticket office
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Post by joefrombow on Oct 31, 2023 21:31:07 GMT
Older people can learn how to use a ticket machine, age isn't a barrier. I think there are a few prerequisites that were skipped before proposing the closure of ticket offices: 1. Ensuring better ticket machine reliability (this is a broad as making sure they are actually functional, the touch screen functional, and their data updated when needed which is not always the case) -- and in some stations, more ticket machines (and in better locations, why outside the station in the rain at times?)
2. Fare simplification. Ticket office staff can be very helpful in getting you the best ticket for the best price which sometimes you wouldn't figure out on a TVM. It would also generally be a much better experience overall to have simpler fares.
3. Expansion of contactless and similar tech to reduce queues at machines
Personally, I don't understand the view that staff with an iPad by the ticket gates should replace ticket offices. You're still paying someone (maybe less?) to do less than what a ticket office can do. I hold the same view regarding LU where there's still staff by law at underground stations who are being paid yet can do less than a ticket office. What's the point?
I use Bromley by Bow station quite regularly and there is literally no one ever in sight a sign is in the old ticket office window permanently saying the staff member is out on the station performing other duties and the pushchair barrier is always open , So realistically don't see why the ticket office couldn't be opened , However on the National Rail network it's a different ballgame , Many complicated journeys , complicated ticketing , complicated stopping patterns , complicated network , I think major stations should definitely have a member of staff and ticket offices open at the busiest times however if the station doesn't have a lot of people using the ticket office I don't see the point in having it open but there should then at least be a member of staff on board the train to help with ticketing etc but there are no plans for that basically use digital ticketing use the machines or get a fine is the way forward if the government gets its way and this notion of "wasting public money paying staff to do nothing" do people think the fares are going to come down if all the ticket offices closed ? A lot more public money getting wasted elsewhere .
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Post by ibus246 on Oct 31, 2023 23:06:22 GMT
Exactly. And it was very well people posting pictures all over Twitter of a long queue at a ticket office and then machines standing empty, however I could post 100s of pictures of the ticket office employee sitting there doing nothing and gazing out from behind the glass. What a waste of money paying someone to sit they’re doing nothing and that person is restricted to that role only. At my local station the ticket office often closes briefly when a London-bound train is about to depart, so the staff can perform dispatch duties and direct passengers with reservations to the correct part of the train. They may also close if customer assistance has been requested on an arriving or departing train. So it is possible for ticket office staff to work more flexibly. I live in a town where the average age is considerably older than the UK as a whole, and the proportion of tickets bought at the ticket window for journeys commencing at the station is considerably higher than the 12% quoted (it is nearer 40%). There would have been no reduction in station hours in most cases and the ticket office “clerk” would have still been able to a ticket - just not stuck behind a glass window.
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