March 2023
Ticket Office Closures – Changes to the Schedule 17 Major Change Process The Government and DfT managed Train Operating Companies are progressing plans which would lead to the closure of all ticket offices in England at stations managed by the 14 DfT TOCs. The Government has recently published, for the first time, updated guidance on how it deals with applications from train companies for ticket office closures. This briefing note sets out how the Government’s guidance has changed and how this will impact the ‘major change’ process that train companies have to follow when they want to close ticket offices. If you become aware of any proposals from train companies to close ticket offices, please inform the National Policy Department as soon as possible, you can email Sophie Ward (s.ward@rmt.org.uk). Schedule 17 – Ticketing and Settlement Agreement The Ticketing and Settlement Agreement (TSA) is statutory document which sets out the arrangements for the retailing of tickets. This includes ticket office opening hours and the process that must be followed when train companies want to close ticket offices or reduce hours. Schedule 17 of the TSA sets out the list of regulated stations i.e. those with a staffed ticket office, and the ticket office’s regulated opening hours. Currently, this is the only statutory arrangements for regulating staffing at stations. Major Change Process The ‘major change’ process set out in the TSA must be followed when train companies want to close ticket offices. The train company must submit their proposals to the passenger watchdogs Transport Focus or in the case of any stations in London, London Travelwatch, who then oversee a 21 day consultation over the proposed closures. The TSA only requires the train companies to put details of the planned changes on display in the affected station/s. Although, in practice, they often put the information online, as do the passenger watchdogs. There is no requirement for the train companies to put the consultations into accessible formats.