Council leader fears over ticket offices
Slough: ‘No decision yet’ on potential closures, say rail bosses
The leader of Slough Borough Council has written a letter to rail bosses amid fears a number of ticket offices could be closed in the foreseeable future.
Cllr James Swindlehurst, in a joint letter with lead member for transport and the local environment, Cllr Mohammed Nazir, expressed concerns over ‘major disruption and worry’ to residents and users of Slough, Burnham and Langley railway stations.
No decisions have been made over the future of the ticket offices, according to the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators.
In the letter, councillors said ‘elderly and vulnerable residents, as well as those with poor literacy and IT skills, will be
disproportionately affected’ by any closure.
They added: “Although ticket vending machines are largely useful in reducing waiting times, those unfamiliar with the technology will find the unresponsiveness from the screens and disappearing messages very painful and confusing.
“Closing ticket offices, especially in towns like Slough where the stations remain busy all day, means missing out on providing travellers with the most suitable ticket for a given journey.
“Amidst a complex fares system and high penalty charges, passengers are likely to be more anxious in buying the exact ticket they need and will be looking more than usual for human rassurance.
“Ticket offices also provide a friendly and comforting alternative to those unfamiliar with using the required technology to purchase tickets.”
The council leader added concerns over accessibility for residents who speak English as their second language, and called for a ‘much-needed improvement on the digital front’ before any closures take place.
A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group said the pandemic had been an ‘unprecedented financial shock to the railway’.
They added: “While no decisions have been taken over ticket offices, with the acceleration of changing travel patterns and more passengers migrating to digital technology, many jobs will need to change to become more passengercentric. “Train companies want to work with unions on how to address those changes, while making sure the industry takes no more than its fair share from the taxpayer.”