- Buying a ticket will be as easy as possible whether on app, website or at our ticket vending machines (TVMs)
- Southeastern’s 14 busiest stations will have travel centres offering a full range of travel advice and ways to buy tickets
- Every staffed station will continue to be staffed as part of these proposals
- 18 stations currently unstaffed to be staffed again as operator moves to fill vacancies
- Customers with accessible travel needs can still use 24-hour telephone helpline for advice, buying tickets and booking assisted travel
- Equality Impact Assessments undertaken for each ticket office protecting interests of people with accessibility requirements
Southeastern, the train operator serving Kent, Sussex and Southeast London has today announced a consultation (along with 13 other train operators) on the future of ticket offices. The aim is making more staff available to assist customers face-to-face, for those that need help, and to provide popular technology (like e-tickets and Pay-As-You-Go) for those happy to self-serve.
As well as making more people available to help customers directly, the move should bust queues for tickets at stations and will be underpinned by the rollout of digital technology, now commonplace in other industries.
Why the consultation’s happening
The way people buy things has changed and that includes train tickets. More than ever, people buy train tickets online, on smartphones, with contactless technology, on apps, or the internet – conveniently and without a queue. Five million e-tickets are now sold every week by train companies and retailers like Trainline. As Southeastern continue to roll out more e-ticket routes, this number is expected to continue growing.
Southeastern is committed to a better, more reliable, and sustainable railway. In terms of financial sustainability, it must manage costs and reduce taxpayers’ subsidy. This approach will provide a better service at a lower cost.
Support for customers
If proposals for the future of ticket offices are approved, when the results of the consultation are implemented, Southeastern will ensure skilled staff who currently work in ticket offices will get support and training to transition to new roles. Southeastern staff will be able to provide a wider range of customer support including helping people with accessibility requirements and keeping people safe by deterring anti-social behaviour.
There is currently a wide variation across the 180 stations Southeastern serves, of different opening times and colleagues available, at their 142 ticket offices. At the conclusion of Southeastern’s consultation, the following is proposed:
- At 14 of the busiest stations, Travel Centres will be provided, offering a combination of travel information and ticketing solutions.
- At Southeastern’s medium and larger sized stations, where it is agreed ticket offices are no longer required, they will be closed. Overall, these stations will have fewer colleagues, but will be better able to support our customers following enhanced training and being empowered to assist people face-to-face.
- At Southeastern’s smaller stations, where the only colleague currently on the station is the person in the ticket office, if agreed that the ticket office will be closed, our colleague there will be available to provide a wider range of customer support.
- 18 smaller stations, where vacancies have resulted in the station being temporarily unstaffed, will be restaffed as staff are deployed where they are most needed.
Every station currently staffed, will continue to be staffed.
Subject to consultation, these changes are expected to be phased over the next two years.
A full list of changes planned for the 40 stations in phase one of Southeastern’s consultation can be found here.
Steve White, Managing Director of Southeastern said:
“The world has changed and Southeastern wants to change with it by offering a better, more reliable, and sustainable railway. An overhaul of the way we operate our stations is long overdue.
“Customers love our people not our ticket offices. This consultation proposes making more of our people available to help customers face-to-face providing a wider range of support, including accessibility assistance and deterring anti-social behaviour. It proposes introducing 14 travel centres at our busiest stations and restaffing 18 stations, currently unstaffed due to vacancies.
“Most customers now buy tickets on their phones in simple, queue-free, transactions or use Pay-As-You-Go. Five million e-tickets are now sold weekly by train companies and retailers like Trainline. With customers buying holidays, shopping and banking online they can now also buy rail tickets on their phone at a time that suits them.
“For those happy to use self-service, buying a ticket will be as easy as possible whether on our app, website or at our ticket vending machines (TVMs) and this consultation will ensure they can do that.
“For customers who need ticketing assistance this will remain available through our travel centres, station colleagues and 24/7 helpline for assisted travel.
“At the same time, we want to reduce taxpayers' subsidy of our business and ensure a sustainable future as a vital public service. The aim is to provide a better service at a lower cost.
Southeastern is committed to a meaningful consultation. Everyone with an interest is encouraged to share their views with London TravelWatch (for our stations in London) or Transport Focus – the organisations who will administer the consultation.”
Support for customers with accessibility requirements
To protect the interests of people with accessibility needs, Equality Impact Assessments (EqIAs) will be made available on our website for every ticket office subject to consultation.
Southeastern provides over 100,000 ‘assists’ annually, to customers with accessibility needs – with a 92% satisfaction rate. Conductors, Onboard Managers, and station staff will continue to be on-hand to provide support. Bringing more staff into direct contact with customers means more people will be available to help customers with accessibility requirements.
A phased approach to consultation
Given the size and density of its network, to ensure consultation is rigorous and thorough, Southeastern’s consultation will take place in phases. The first phase will be on 40 tickets offices in Southeastern’s Metro area that each sell fewer than 50 tickets daily and where customers can already use Pay-As-You-Go (tap in, tap out) for their journey. Many of these ticket offices sell 10 tickets or less daily at the window.
Consultation is open from today on the following stations and all other stations will be consulted on in Autumn 2023:
- Albany Park
- Barnehurst
- Belvedere*
- Bexleyheath
- Bickley
- Blackheath
- Brixton
- Bromley North
- Catford Bridge
- Charlton
- Chelsfield
- Clockhouse
- Deptford
- Eden Park*
- Elmers End
- Erith
- Falconwood
- Hayes
- Hither Green
- Kent House
- Kidbrooke
- Knockholt
- Ladywell
- Lee
- Lower Sydenham*
- Maze Hill
- New Beckenham*
- New Cross
- Penge East
- Plumstead London
- Shortlands
- Slade Green
- St Johns
- Sundridge Park*
- Sydenham Hill
- Welling
- West Dulwich
- West Wickham
- Westcombe Park
- Woolwich Dockyard
(*denotes station currently unstaffed but that should be re-staffed following consultation)
Steve White concluded:
“This consultation will mean change for customers and for colleagues. We are completely committed to a meaningful consultation that should provide, if agreed, a better service for customers and more rewarding careers for Southeastern’s committed, hard-working teams across our network.”
