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Passenger Focus

Freepost PO Box 4257,Manchester,M60 3AR

8th March 2010

Dear Passenger Focus,

Passenger Focus consultation on South W est Trains ticket officeopening hours

I am writing to register my opposition to South West Trains (SWT) proposedSchedule 17 changes to their ticket office opening times. The proposed changesare wholly unnecessary and will lead to a reduction in the level and quality of

service provided to the travelling public. I am therefore requesting thatPassenger Focus lodges a formal objection to the planned reductions in openingtimes.

Schedule 17 makes clear that an operator can make major changes to ticketoffice opening times if;

the change would represent an improvement on current arrangements in termsof quality of service and/or cost effectiveness and members of the public would

continue to enjoy widespread and easy access to the purchase of rail products,notwithstanding the change

In terms of quality of service it is evident that the scale of cuts proposed by SWTwill not result in an improvement on current arrangements. Furthermore, I

believe that ticket machines do not offer the same range of advice, tickets andfares as those provided by trained railway staff, demonstrating that SWTsproposals will not ensure passengers continue to enjoy widespread and easy

access to the purchase of rail products.

Ticket machines will not be able to offer the same range of tickets andfares and/or advice on ticket and fare options as that provided by trainedrailway staff.

Ticket machines can issue faulty tickets. Booking office closures mean thatstaff will not be on hand to issue corrected tickets in such circumstances.

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Passengers may be unable to use ticket machines or the machines may be

vandalised or faulty. This could result in journeys being abandoned orpassengers boarding trains without tickets leading to difficult situations

between passengers and rail staff.

Ticket machines are often located on the opposite side of the track fromwhich a passenger enters the station

The proposals could disproportionately impact on those passengers whohave a disability which makes it difficult or impossible to use a ticket

machine.

Many passengers will no longer be able to purchase their weekday ticketsat the weekend causing not only inconvenience but also longer queuesduring peak time.

Weekend closures will disproportionately hit those who use trains forleisure and visits to friends and family

The proposals could be detrimental to the use of the network as theresulting increase in days and times when stations are unstaffed willheighten passenger security concerns. In this respect we are aware of

the spring 2008 National Passenger Survey carried out by PassengerFocus which found that passengers put staff being available at stations asone of their top 20 main areas where they felt the railway could be

improved.

The need for adequately staffed stations was also demonstrated by theJuly 2005 National Audit Office report Maintaining and Improving BritainsRailway Stations which showed only between 38% and 62%, depending

on the size of the station, of passengers are satisfied with personalsecurity whilst using train stations.

Stations left completely unstaffed at the weekend will see a deteriorationof the station environment and facilities potentially causing negative

effects on ridership

No staff presence will mean there is no assistance to passengers withdisabilities or small children.

The proposal to reduce ticket office opening times at over 20 stations will resultin deterioration to the quality of service enjoyed by the travelling public.They should be opposed in the strongest possible terms.

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Yours sincerely,