London NorthWestern Railway has asked for feedback on the Conservative instigated plans to close railway ticket offices.  If you would like to respond, this must be done before 26th July.

https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/23672658.say-train-ticket-office-closure-plans/

Proposed changes to ticket offices
We want to let you know that London Northwestern Railway is proposing to modernise the way we sell tickets and provide customer support at stations.

Just 12% of tickets are now sold through ticket offices and we recognise that we need to adapt to changing customer habits.

Alongside other train operators, our proposals include bringing employees out from behind ticket office windows to be closer to customers, providing an enhanced customer service role and greater visibility of staff on concourses and platforms.

A consultation on the reforms has been launched and will run until 26 July 2023. It will provide you with the opportunity to have your say on the proposals, which aim to follow other modern retailers such as airlines, supermarkets and banks in adapting to consumer demand and providing a quicker, smoother and more convenient retail experience.

All ticket offices in their current form would close over the next three years, but we would retain four hub stations across the network: Milton Keynes, Northampton, Nuneaton and Watford Junction. These hubs would offer enhanced retail facilities and customer support. Cash will continue to be accepted across the rail network.

Mobile teams would move between stations and be deployed to offer extra help where needed. Ticket vending machines would be upgraded to make sure customers can still buy the most popular tickets at stations and many staff will have hand-held devices. New customer help points would also be introduced at stations as part of the proposals.

Nationally around half of all sales are now online, with many customers choosing to use more convenient ways of paying for their journey, including online and self-service ticket machines. An estimated 99% of all transactions made at ticket offices last year can be made at TVMs or online.

Further information on our proposals for each of our stations is available at lnr.uk/ticket-offices.

Customers who would like to comment on these proposals for Apsley, Berkhamsted, Hemel Hempstead, Kings Langley, Tring and Watford Junction, can contact London TravelWatch – the independent transport watchdog for London, by Wednesday 26 July 2023 at LNR.Consultation@Londontravelwatch.org.uk or Freepost: RTEH-XAGE-BYKZ, London TravelWatch, PO Box 5594, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 9PZ.For more information about how to have your say visit londontravelwatch.org.uk.

To comment on proposed changes to ticket offices at all other stations on the London Northwestern Railway network, customers can contact Transport Focus, the independent transport user watchdog, by Wednesday 26 July 2023 at TicketOffice.WMT@transportfocus.org.uk or Freepost: RTEH-XAGE-BYKZ, Transport Focus, PO Box 5594, Southend on Sea, SS1 9PZ. For more information about how to have your say visit transportfocus.org.uk.