Plans to close West Midlands train ticket offices - full list of 122 stations at risk
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Rail operators across the West Midlands have announced plans to scrap the majority train ticket offices at the region’s 122 stations ‘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. West Midlands Railway (WMR) joins other rail operators who are set to close ticket offices, with around 1,000 earmarked to close across the country, prompting outrage from the RMT union - which says the announcements are being made amid statutory redundancy notices for hundreds of railway workers.
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Hide AdWMR manages 70 ticket offices in the region and plans to close 64 - with six being converted into retail hubs under the plans. The other 52 rail stations in the region are managed by different train operators - and some of them do not have ticket offices.
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.
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Hide Ad“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 [email protected].
BirminghamWorld has asked WMR if any rail worker are at risk of redundancy due to the plans. A spokesperson said: “At this stage the proposals are just that - proposals - and a consultation is ongoing, so we are not able to give a figure on possible headcount reduction. If the proposals go ahead our intention is that every staff member who wants to will have the opportunity to retrain to perform the new role.”
General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “The decision to close up to 1,000 ticket offices and to issue hundreds of redundancy notices to staff is a savage attack on railway workers, their families and the travelling public.
“Travellers will be forced to rely on apps and remote mobile teams to be available to assist them rather than having trained staff on stations. This is catastrophic for elderly, disabled and vulnerable passengers trying to access the rail network.
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Hide Ad“The arrangements for ticket office opening hours, set out in Schedule 17 of the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement, are the only statutory regulation of station staffing. It is crystal clear that the government and train companies want to tear up this agreement and pave the way for a massive de-staffing of the rail network.
“Some of the train operators issuing our members with statutory redundancy notices today are cutting two thirds of their workforce. It is clear that the whole enterprise of closing ticket offices has got nothing to do with modernisation and is a thinly veiled plan to gut our railways of station staff.
“Fat cat rail operators and the government do not care one jot about passenger safety, or a well-staffed and friendly railway open to all to use. They want to cut costs, make profits for shareholders, and run the network into the ground without a thought as to the vital role the rail industry plays in the country’s economy.
“RMT is mounting a strong industrial, and political campaign to resist ticket office closures and station staff cuts. And we will continue our fight on July 20, 22 and 29 when 20,000 railway workers on the train operators go on strike.” Here’s a full list of railway stations in the West Midlands. You can see full details for the plans for each on at this link from West Midlands Railway here: Train stations in the West Midlands and plans for their ticket offices.


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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