ScotRail to Reduce Hours at Over 30 Ticket Offices From Late March

ScotRail announced some changes. Thirty-seven rail ticket offices will have new hours. These changes happen at the end of March. Thirty-one offices will have shorter hours. Six offices will have longer hours. This mainly happens on weekends.

One hundred six ticket offices stay the same. ScotRail says no offices will close. No one will lose their job.

Phil Campbell says this makes service better. He says it fits how people buy tickets now. It will also make things safer. ScotRail listened to feedback. They changed plans after hearing it.

Staff will do other things. They can help at barriers or check tickets. ScotRail wants staff on platforms. Staff can help customers there. They also keep platforms safe.

The RMT union disagrees with this. Mick Lynch calls it “de-staffing by stealth.” He says no ticket offices means job insecurity. He thinks passengers will not have support.

Lynch says cuts make stations unsafe. He thinks disabled and elderly people suffer. He wants the government to stop this. He feels it hurts Scotland’s rail service.

ScotRail said it first cut 54 offices’ hours. Many people buy tickets online now, they say. They changed plans after public input. Over 1,500 people responded to the survey.