Ticket offices scrapped

West Midlands Railway plans to scrap the vast majority of its 122 ticket offices

Ashley Preece - Local Democracy Reporter | Wednesday 5th July 2023 9:19pm

West Midlands Railway plans to scrap the vast majority of its 122 ticket offices ‘to bring employees out from behind office windows and closer to customers’. The proposals come as bosses outline how just 12 percent of tickets are sold at ticket offices compared to 82 percent in the 1990s.

In a statement, a spokesman for West Midlands Railway said: “In response to these changing customer habits, alongside other train operators, we are proposing to bring employees out from behind ticket office windows to be closer to customers, providing an enhanced customer service role and greater visibility of staff on concourses and platforms.

“Under these plans ticket offices in their current form would close over the next three years, but we would retain hub stations across the network to facilitate the evolution of retail and the multi-skilling of staff to be available where customers most need them – on platforms and concourses to help with journey planning, finding the right ticket and supporting passengers with accessibility needs.

“Mobile teams would move between stations and would be deployed to offer extra help where needed. Ticket vending machines will be upgraded to make sure customers can still buy the most popular tickets at stations and many staff will have hand-held devices. New customer ‘help’ points would also be introduced at stations as part of the proposals.

“West Midlands Railway recognise the need to safeguard the interests of passengers and other operators; and continue to promote the use of the national rail network.”

Rail commuters have until Wednesday, July 26 to comment on plans to axe ticket offices. You can email TicketOffice.WMT@transportfocus.org.uk.

Here’s a full list of West Midlands Railway stations, below:

Acocks Green

Adderley Park

Albrighton

Alvechurch

Aston

Barnt Green

Bearley

Bedworth

Berkswell

Bescot Stadium

Bilbrook

Birmingham International

Birmingham Moor St

Birmingham New Street

Birmingham Snow Hill

Blake Street

Blakedown

Bloxwich

Bloxwich North

Bournville

Bromsgrove

Butlers Lane

Canley

Cannock

Chester Road

Claverdon

Codsall

Colwall

Coseley

Cosford

Coventry

Coventry Arena

Cradley Heath

Crewe

Danzey

Dorridge

Droitwich Spa

Duddeston

Dudley Port

Earlswood

Erdington

Five Ways

Four Oaks

Gravelly Hill

Great Malvern

Hagley

Hall Green

Hampstead

Hampton-in-Arden

Hartlebury

Hatton

Hednesford

Henley in Arden

Hereford

Jewellery Quarter

Kenilworth

Kidderminster

Kings Norton

Landywood

Langley Green

Lapworth

Lea Hall

Leamington Spa

Ledbury

Lichfield City

Lichfield Trent Valley

Longbridge

Lye

Malvern Link

Marston Green

Northfield

Nuneaton

Oakengates

Old Hill

Olton

Penkridge

Perry Barr

Redditch

Rowley Regis

Rugeley Town

Rugeley Trent Valley

Sandwell & Dudley

Selly Oak

Shenstone

Shifnal

Shirley

Shrewsbury

Small Heath

Smethwick Galton Bridge

Smethwick Rolfe Street

Solihull

Spring Road

Stafford

Stechford

Stourbridge Junction

Stourbridge Town

Stratford-upon-Avon

Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway

Sutton Coldfield

Tame Bridge Parkway

Telford Central

The Hawthorns

The Lakes

Tile Hill

Tipton

Tyseley

University

Walsall

Warwick

Warwick Parkway

Wellington

Whitlocks End

Widney Manor

Witton

Wolverhampton

Wood End

Wootton Wawen

Worcester Foregate Street

Worcester Shrub Hill

Wylde Green

Wythall

Yardley Wood

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