Last week I submitted my response to the consultation on planned ticketoOffice closures by South Western Railway (SWR). While it is right to review services to ensure resource is being used effectively - and there is clear evidence some ticket offices across the country are significantly under utilised - ticket offices in Runnymede and Weybridge still provide valuable service to a large number of passengers. As your MP, I am against SWR’s plans to blanket close all ticket offices in Runnymede and Weybridge.
The proposals to close every single ticket office have been put forward by SWR as a means of reducing costs. However, they do not address a wide range of concerns, including the impact of the plans on accessibility, value for money, safety, and the specific impact on local stations within Runnymede and Weybridge.
In addition, pay as you go facilities are currently being rolled out across the network, with Virginia Water and Egham receiving these first in Runnymede and Weybridge, and I am campaigning for it to be rolled out to all my stations as soon as possible. This will have a substantial impact on how people use the service, therefore any changes to ticket office provision should be halted until we have pay as you go facilities across all stations, and the impact of this on customer choice and access has been fully assessed.
SWR also need to address concerns over how customers can access services if they are unable to access ticket machines or online services. I am concerned that elderly and disabled people are likely to be disproportionately affected by these plans and have requested that copies of the full Equality Impact Assessment for each station are shared.
My response also sets out in more detail concerns regarding safety, value for money, the impact on staff and changes to local stations. You can see my full response below.
Ultimately, SWR have failed to address the question at the heart of this issue: If technology is already available, easier to use and accessible, why are 1 in 8 ticket sales still made via ticket offices and how can this need be best met? What additional service is currently being providing to customers by SWR in Runnymede and Weybridge’s stations, and across the network? And how do we ensure that this service is not lost, and customers disadvantaged, as a result of the planned blanket ticket office closure?
Until these questions can be addressed, ticket offices, and the services they provide, should be maintained.
