Rail ticket office closures will leave some stations in Wokingham completely unstaffed for entire days.
South Western Railway and Great Western Railway plan to close ticket offices at its stations across Wokingham borough over the next three years, with station staff helping passengers to use ticket machines.
But staffing hours will also be reduced – and disabled, vulnerable, young and elderly passengers could struggle to buy a ticket, Wokingham Borough Council has said.
In a letter it plans to send to government transport regulators, it said: “Many individuals, including those with disabilities, the elderly, the young and those from lower-income backgrounds, heavily rely on the assistance and advice provided by station staff.
“Ticket machines and mobile apps do not cater to all passengers’ needs and may be inaccessible or confusing for some individuals, particularly for those with special educational needs or impaired eyesight.”
The council also warns that stations could become more unsafe when staff aren’t around.
“There may be a higher risk of incidents, anti-social behaviour, and a lack of immediate assistance during emergencies,” it says.
“Unstaffed train stations increase vulnerability for individuals, particularly for women, and is a crucial step backwards against violence against women and girls.”
Under South Western Railway’s plans, Earley and Winnersh stations would be completely unstaffed on Sundays and Mondays. Currently, Earley is staffed seven days a week, while Winnersh is only unstaffed on Sundays. Winnersh Triangle would be unstaffed on Fridays and Saturdays – as opposed to just Sundays, when it is currently unstaffed.
Staff will only be present between 6am and 10am on weekdays, and between 9am and 1pm on weekends. This means that each station will only be staffed for 20 hours a week.
Wokingham Borough Council warned that for some types of tickets unavailable through machines – or for more complex journeys – passengers will first have to travel to busier stations such as Reading where they can buy them in person.
Councillor Paul Fishwick – responsible for travel and transport – is set to formally approve the council’s response to the plans on Thursday, August 31. The response will go to the consultation on ticket office closures being run by government-funded regulator, Transport Focus.
South Western Rail and Great Western Rail said the changes are justified by falling ticket office use.
South Western Rail said its staff will be trained to support customers with their retail choices, and by bringing them out of the ticket offices and into the stations, they will provide more visible and personal help to its customers.
“We will continue to meet all our commitments on providing accessibility for passengers, including passengers with reduced mobility and people requiring in‑person assistance,” it said.
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