I recently met with East Midlands Railway (EMR) regarding the consultation on the proposed closure of ticket offices. Beeston Station, in my constituency, has one such office and I wished to raise my concerns and those of my constituents at any potential changes. This week I received a written response with the below comments from EMR following on from our meeting, and in their letter to me they state:
‘I am writing in regards of our recent meeting further to the announcement that a public consultation on plans to modernise customer service across the rail network was launched by the industry, with proposals for Beeston Station in your constituency and 28 other stations across the EMR network. The proposals aim to bring station retailing up to date from the mid-1990s, when the rules on how to sell tickets were set. Back then, over 80% of all tickets were sold at ticket offices. Today, with the shift to digital channels, just 12% of rail tickets are sold through ticket offices - for EMR it is less than 5%. These plans will also provide easier access to digital ticketing following the lead of many other modern industries, like supermarkets and airlines, who have long since adapted to a more self-service model supported by staff, in line with changing buying habits. EMR currently operates 72% of stations unstaffed.’
One of my largest concerns was regarding how my constituents who need assistance with accessibility will be affected. During the conversation of our urgent meeting on Friday 28 July it became apparent that trials were being considered by EMR for audio wayfinding signage. I made it very clear that if Beeston Station were selected for audio wayfinding there would be a huge benefit for my constituents using the service and I felt it was as an excellent location to be one of their pilots. I am delighted that EMR listened and have consequently chosen Beeston Station as one of the stations to have this new technology installed. In their response they clarify and confirm:
‘We remain committed to supporting all our customers’ accessibility requirements and as part of our proposals, assisted travel will remain in line with our Accessible Travel Policy commitments. We have carried out an Equality Impact Assessment across the stations where we are proposing to make changes. An Equality Impact Assessment is completed to assess the potential impact of change on people who have accessibility needs and/or other protected characteristics protected by the Equality Act 2010. EMR have also published an overarching Equality Impact Assessment. This can be found on the dedicated EMR consultation webpage, under accessibility: https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/modernisation-consultation
Our final assessment and associated plan, including mitigating actions, will be informed by this public consultation. Additionally, Beeston is confirmed as one of our stations to see audio wayfinding signage installed. This is either triggered as someone walks past the signage or it can be linked to a device. We anticipate that these will be in place by Spring 2024. Also, a virtual reality video of Beeston will be produced by Summer 2024. Available to download from our website, the Station tour video will help break down many barriers and fears that we know some of our current and potential customers have. We will keep you informed with regards to these projects.’
Another concern I raised was that of individuals needing assistance with working out routes, best ticket options and guidance on schedules. EMR directed me to their Customer Service Centre, I tried the number given and was put through quickly to a helpful operator. In their letter they state:
‘Our Customer Service Centre (CSC) is also available to support with a range of requests, ranging from: passenger assistance, purchasing tickets to planning complex journeys (including creating a personal door to door journey plan). Our CSC can be contacted through one of the following mediums:
Email: contact@eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk
Phone: 03457 125 678
WhatsApp: +44 7501330988’
I am aware that often people may need help from an individual to purchase a ticket. So as well as having phone options always available, I am happy to announce that colour screens and interactive screens will also be installed at Beeston, as they also confirm in their letter:
‘Beeston currently has two Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs), one located on each platform, both accept cash and card. The two machines are capable of supporting the volumes of tickets that we process now and in future years. Our ticket sales data in January/February 2023 shows us that the average daily ticket office sales were 35, compared to 70 via the TVM. The priority for Smart Kiosks have been stations where there has been minimal or no ticketing purchasing options available or customer information screens (CIS). A project launched recently will see nearly 200 CIS installed across the EMR network. These will feature new colour screens and have been designed to be easily visible and comprehendible to customers under various weather and lighting conditions, catering to passengers with different levels of literacy and language proficiency. There will also be a number of interactive screens that will offer accessibility and local information, such as onward travel options or tourist information. Colour screens and an interactive screen are to be installed at Beeston Station.’
I have recently been updated on Beeston Station ‘Access for All funding’. This was funding received from the Government to put lifts in at the Station, I will be attending a meeting at the Station during the summer recess to discuss progress with both EMR and Network Rail.
For those of you who have not yet recorded your thoughts with EMRs consultation, you can do so here: https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/modernisation-consultation before Friday 1 September.
