Rail Ticket Offices

Jack Brereton Excerpts
Thursday 6th July 2023

(10 months, 1 week ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lindsay Hoyle Portrait Mr Speaker
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I do not think the Minister should plug The Beatles in that way.

Jack Brereton Portrait Jack Brereton (Stoke-on-Trent South) (Con)
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Many people using stations such as Stoke-on-Trent station are infrequent travellers, and many are vulnerable or elderly and need support to buy a ticket. Can the Minister assure me that there will always be someone at Stoke-on-Trent station to provide a paper ticket to those without digital skills?

Huw Merriman Portrait Huw Merriman
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There are no plans to replace paper tickets through the train operators’ process. Again, the aim is to ensure that ticket office staff are freed up and on the platform to sell the tickets and help passengers to purchase them at the machines or online. The hope is that, thereafter, those passengers will be able to book for themselves with confidence, without needing to use that service. Those staff will also be available at Stoke-on-Trent to provide other services and information: more customer services. This is the exact way in which our rail passengers transact across the retail and financial space, which is why it is the right approach for the railways.