UPDATE: November 2023
Dear Constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about ticket offices at railway stations.
The Government made it clear to the rail industry throughout the consultation process that any proposals to close ticket offices must meet a high threshold of standards for serving passengers.
As Mark Harper the Secretary of State for Transport said, “we have engaged with accessibility groups throughout this process and listened carefully to passengers as well as my colleagues in Parliament. The proposals that have resulted from this process do not meet the high thresholds set by Ministers, and so the Government has asked train operators to withdraw their proposals.”
Therefore, the Government now expects the Train Operating companies to withdraw their proposals and for no ticket office to close.
Let me assure you that the Government will continue to invest in improving the passenger experience at railway stations, and that is why £20 million has been committed to extend pay-as-you-go ticketing to a further 53 stations in the South East by the end of 2023. The Government is also continuing its work to agree pay-as-you-go pilots in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands as part of devolution deals announced earlier this year. As part of Network North, the Government will also be spending a further £350 million to improve accessibility at up to 100 stations.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Best wishes,
Angela Richardson MP
Member of Parliament for Guildford, Cranleigh and our villages
September 2023
Dear Constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about proposed ticket office closures in our area.
I am grateful that you have taken the time to share your views with me.
As part of the recent consultation, I submitted my views on behalf of Guildford constituents. I have enclosed a copy of my submission alongside this letter.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Best wishes,
Angela Richardson MP
Member of Parliament for Guildford, Cranleigh and our villages
To whom it may concern,
I am writing concerning the impact of proposed ticket office changes on the South Western Railway network in my constituency and the surrounding area. The stations include Guildford, London Road (Guildford), Worplesdon, Clandon, Horsley and Effingham Junction.
Since the proposals were announced, I have received correspondence from constituents outlining their reasons for preserving the ticket offices as they currently are.
I welcome the industry wide pledges from train operating companies concerning the level of face-to-face support from staff, ensuring customers are not diverted unnecessarily to buy tickets, supporting those with accessibility requirements and making sure staff are treated fairly with varied job roles.
However, I do still have some reservations with the proposals which include the inability to purchase certain less common types of tickets at ticket machines, the reduction in staffing hours at smaller stations and the continued ability of those with disabilities and access requirements to use train services with ease.
Whilst I acknowledge that the majority of tickets can be purchased at a ticket machine or through a mobile app, there are certain types that can only be purchased through a ticket vendor. This can include tickets with ranger or rover passes. Ticket office attendants can also offer clearer advice on the time and route validity of tickets.
I would be grateful if the consultation’s conclusions can outline how these less common tickets will be accessible, should the offices close, without the need to go to a larger station such as Guildford or Woking. I would also like to see reassurances that those with disabilities will still be able to have the right assistance should they be are unable to use a ticket machine or access smart ticketing. I know from correspondence from constituents that this has caused concern.
I welcome the increasing of staffing hours at Guildford Station to 24 hours a day, however, I am concerned at the reduction in hours at the other stations I have listed above. One reduction of particular concern to constituents who have written to me is at London Road (Guildford) Station, which is seeing the number of staffed hours per week decrease by a third.
It is vital that any changes made do not discourage people from using our train services, so that we can continue to reduce congestion on our roads and progress towards our environmental commitments as a town and as a country.
I hope that you will take these comments on board and look forward to hearing of the results of the consultation in due course.
Yours sincerely,
Angela Richardson MP
Member of Parliament for Guildford, Cranleigh and our villages
CC: South Western Railway