SCOTRAIL is to reduce opening hours at more than 50 ticket offices as more travellers buy online.
The rail operator said no jobs will be lost and no ticket offices will close as a result of the change, which will be implemented next year.
It said the move will “deliver more visible customer support at stations, reflecting changing travel and ticket purchasing patterns”, after data published in 2021 showed there had been a “dramatic increase” in online ticket purchases.
While reducing the hours at 54 offices, the hours at 12 others will increase, and ScotRail said the decision comes following a consultation by the independent passenger watchdog Transport Focus.
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There will be no change to the ticket office opening hours at the remaining 77 staffed stations.
ScotRail said in the past decade, there has been a 50% drop in ticket office sales.
It said current data shows 16% of sales are at ticket offices, with 90% of those sales at just 20 stations.
A fifth of sales take place at ticket vending machines at stations, while 43% of tickets are bought online – either on the website or the app.
However, the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) issued a warning that ScotRail’s plan will increase risks of anti-social behaviour and jeopardise the safety of women and vulnerable passengers across Scotland’s railways.
ScotRail initially proposed a reduction in ticket office hours in 2022, just prior to its transition to public ownership.
However, former transport secretary Jenny Gilruth put the plan on hold to allow for comprehensive research on women’s safety in the rail network.
The announcement was called “a bolt from the blue” by TSSA, which condemns the decision as both regressive and dangerous.
TSSA general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust expressed concerns, stating: “ScotRail’s announcement today is disingenuous, amounting to little more than backdoor staff cuts and putting women and vulnerable passengers at risk.
“Without staffed ticket offices, there is a significant risk that stations will become less safe, particularly for women. The presence of staff is crucial not only for managing the station’s operation but for providing a sense of security and assistance to passengers who may otherwise feel vulnerable."
“ScotRail’s claim that staff will remain in stations rings hollow when experience shows that staff are often reassigned elsewhere, leaving passengers without vital on-site support."
Eslamdoust said the union would oppose the plans to protect members' jobs and "the safety of all passengers who rely on ScotRail services to travel securely".
ScotRail said where ticket offices see reduced hours, staff will carry out other customer-supporting roles within their existing job description, such as ticket barrier duties and revenue protection.
It said customers will benefit from increased staff visibility, helping with ticket selling/inspection and tackling anti-social behaviour, as well as “increased support” from platform help points, with advice available on buying tickets.
Phil Campbell, ScotRail customer operations director, said: “The independent passenger watchdog Transport Focus carried out an extensive consultation on these proposals, which received feedback from thousands of people across Scotland.
"We have listened to our customers and updated our proposals based on that feedback.
“These changes will provide a service that is better suited for today and the ticket-buying habits of our customers, as well as create an environment that improves safety and customer support.”
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