Sir, The proposal to replace station staff with ticket machines has wide implications for the passenger (letters, Jan 5). Complex ticketing does indeed result in poor value for many travellers. The removal of station staff is also a significant move against accessibility for the infirm, the elderly, disabled, those travelling with luggage, cycles, prams and young children. Many commuter lines operate trains on a driver-only basis, so lack of both on-train and station staff can make the train inaccessible where the absence of assistance or access to ramps makes joining or leaving the train difficult. This is aggravated at stations where the platforms are accessed by flights of steps.

A recent “meet the manager” session with our local train operator tackled the problems arising when the fragile overhead wiring comes down. Most stations are already manned for a single shift only, or unmanned — the objectives now stated for stations elsewhere on the rail network. Is it any wonder that commuters returning home in the evening complain about lack of information and co-ordination when the service falls down. Running the complex evening peak service without station staff is simply asking for trouble.

Our railways — and their government masters — are playing no more than lip service to accessibility and to environmental issues where the combination of lack of staff, poor design and complex fare structures make our railways so unfriendly to customers.

Colin Bassett

Biggleswade, Beds

Sir, Our local station often has a closed ticket office, forcing passengers to use a ticket machine. When the ticket office is shut, we can’t use either the cloakroom or the waiting room. Presumably no passenger using a wheelchair can get on or off a train either, since it’s necessary to put down a ramp (put in place by the person manning the ticket office) to deal with the gap between the train and the platform.

The ticket machine has no instructions, so as well as some of the ticket horrors already described, using a discount card or trying to get a car park ticket is well-nigh impossible. Complaints to South- West Trains about incorrect and overpriced tickets have resulted in vouchers, but these can’t be redeemed with no ticket office open.

Years ago Cleckheaton railway station in Yorkshire was stolen, and I remember reading sad appeals from British Rail for its return. I foresee enraged passengers kidnapping ticket machines and demanding open ticket offices as ransom.

Felicity Trotman

Salisbury

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