Rail kiosk closures step back for safety, Wokingham council warns

Train companies plan to shut ticket offices at stations they manage across Wokingham

Closing rail ticket offices is a "crucial step backwards" in tackling violence against women and girls, a council has warned.

South Western Railway and Great Western Railway intend to shut offices at stations they manage in Wokingham, Berkshire, over the next three years.

Staff will help passengers use ticket machines but their hours will also go down, Wokingham Borough Council said.

It would leave some of the town's train stations unstaffed for days, it said.

South Western Rail and Great Western Rail said the changes are justified by falling ticket office use.

But the the Berkshire council said disabled, vulnerable, young and elderly passengers could struggle to buy a ticket without assistance.

A three-week national public consultation was held on plans to shut more rail ticket offices

In a letter it plans to send to government transport regulators, it wrote: "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 warned that stations could become more unsafe when staff are not around.

It said: "There may be a higher risk of incidents, anti-social behaviour, and a lack of immediate assistance during emergencies.

"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.

'More visible'

Currently, Earley is staffed seven days a week, while Winnersh is only unstaffed on Sundays.

Winnersh Triangle would be unstaffed on Fridays and Saturdays. Currently it is only unstaffed on Sundays.

On days when the stations are staffed, this would only be between 06:00 and 10:00 on weekdays, and 09:00 to 13:00 at weekends.

Wokingham Borough Council also warned that for some tickets unavailable through machines - or for more complex journeys - passengers would have to travel to busier stations, such as Reading, to buy them in person.

Paul Fishwick, the council's travel and transport lead, is set to formally approve the council's response to the plans on Thursday.

The response will go to the consultation on ticket office closures run by government-funded regulator, Transport Focus.

South Western Rail said staff would be trained to "support customers with their retail choices", adding: "By bringing them out of the ticket offices and into the stations, they will provide more visible and personal help to our 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."