LNER confirms plans to close ticket office at Berwick train station
Last updated 5th Jul 2023
London North Eastern Railway (LNER) has confirmed the ticket office at Berwick train station is set to close.
A consultation is being launched over plans to turn it into a waiting area and meeting point - with the train operator saying most people now book their journeys online.
Under the proposals, it points out the station would continue to be staffed - from the first train to the last - although some services, including seat reservations and refunds, would no longer be available.
A spokesperson for LNER said: "Increasingly customers are purchasing their tickets in advance online or through the LNER App. Only 4% of customers purchase tickets at Berwick-upon-Tweed Ticket Office. Over 90% of ticket types purchased through the Ticket Office can still be bought at the station through a Ticket Vending Machine or a colleague using a mobile retailing device.
"We therefore plan to repurpose the Ticket Office at Berwick-upon-Tweed Station allowing more space for a designated accessible waiting area and meeting point.
"To support these changes we will upskill our colleagues to bring them closer to customers. This means enhancing our retail offering with floor walking, mobile equipment and an enhanced Customer Information Point."
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Today's announcement is part of wider industry reforms, but ticket offices at Edinburgh Waverley and Newcastle will be retained.
It's unclear how many staff are affected, or if any jobs are being lost.
But Passenger Assist - a service available for older and disabled passengers travelling on the rail network - will remain.
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LNER adds: "With a greater and more visible station presence we can offer a personal service, answer bespoke questions and help customers purchase the best value tickets.
"The goal of all proposed changes is to create a modern and efficient station experience for customers and colleagues alike."
Berwick Town Council is voicing its concerns over the proposals.
Mayor John Robertson said: “These decisions can’t be made on the basis of national policy or one size fits all criteria. Berwick already suffers from poor road connections with no prospect of the A1 being dualled in the near future which means there’s a lack of alternatives to rail.
"Our residents, young and old deserve to have all the help possible to travel to work, to hospitals and to education and training. Any proposals affecting our train station should be based on our needs and the needs of our town.”
A public consultation opened today and runs until July 26th.
Why do LNER plan to close the Berwick-upon-Tweed Ticket Office?
It says it's modernising the way it retails tickets at Berwick-upon-Tweed Station. A new team of multi-skilled station staff will be available across the station to sell tickets or assist with the use of ticket vending machines, if required. This will allow the Ticket Office to close and help it prioritise what it describes as meeting the evolving needs of its customers.
What services would no longer be available at Berwick?
As a result of the planned changes, LNER says a small percentage (around 8%) of ticket types will no longer be retailed at Berwick-upon-Tweed Station. It says it will support customers with purchasing these online if possible or direct them to neighbouring LNER stations, Edinburgh Waverley and Newcastle.
Customers won’t be able to obtain the following products: Season Replacement, Rovers & Rangers, Excesses; Photocards, Refunds, Seat Reservations, and Rail Cards.
What is the public consultation process?
LNER's proposal for modernising ticket retailing at Berwick-upon-Tweed will go through the major change process as part of the requirements of the Industry’s Ticketing and Settlement Agreement.
A public consultation will be open from July 5th to 26th. LNER will then consult on the feedback and address concerns address concerns collated by Transport Focus on behalf of the users of, or those with an interest in Berwick-upon-Tweed Station.
These plans are not final, it adds. It is encouraging people to provide feedback through the Transport Focus public consultation. Feedback your comments directly to: TicketOffice.LNER@transportfocus.org.uk
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