Fears over cuts to West Fife ticket office hours

Previously, the Press reported that Dunfermline Town, Aberdour, and Cowdenbeath stations would all be affected by changes to office hours, with unions fearing the changes would turn stations into a "mugger’s paradise".

Now, Fife MSP Alex Rowley has called the move "unnecessary", as Abellio, who currently run the service, prepare to hand it over to public control.

He said: "As Scotland’s rail users prepare themselves for yet another hike in train fares, it is deeply concerning that ScotRail would take this opportunity to cut ticket office hours where more than ever, people should be encouraged and supported back onto trains.

"Unfortunately, despite being asked to fork out almost four per cent more for their journey in the midst of an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis, passengers can expect less for their money, with older customers and rail users with disabilities being hit hardest.

"We know that increased public transport usage helps us move towards our climate goals and we need more people to ditch the car and use public transport options where available.

"Yet, peak train fares have seen an astronomical rise of 38 per cent while petrol costs have seen an average increase of just 8.6 per cent – is it any wonder we are still struggling to encourage people to make the switch?

"Ticket office workers cannot simply be replaced by ticket machines – they provide a valuable and necessary service, improving security, safety and accessibility at stations.

“With Abellio’s handover date looming, the Scottish Government must act now to stop these unnecessary changes from a company who have no business dictating the direction of travel of a service they will thankfully not be providing for much longer."

The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) have backed up these claims, after the four rail unions came together to dispute the decision.

The unions urged councillors to campaign against the cuts.

The TSSA added: "Station staff don’t just sell tickets. They provide vital customer service and information to disabled and elderly passengers. They help with passenger assist, and access to station facilities like lifts, toilets.

"Cutting ticket office hours will make the railway less accessible to vulnerable passengers.

"Station staff undertake daily maintenance such as salting and gritting in cold weather, they report defects with station buildings and equipment for repair in a timely manner, keep stations clean, tidy and appealing for passengers to use.

"Station staff also provide a visible presence within each station, discouraging anti-social behaviour on our railway network and create a sense of security for passengers which encourages increased rail usage."

However, speaking last week, Dave Dempsey, Conservative councillor for Aberdour, argued: "To be perfectly honest, unmanned stations work.

"They have systems in place for those with accessibility problems, there are lots of unstaffed stations, they can bring out things to help.

"I can understand when people are used to having a member of staff around the place they will be concerned about changes to the service but I must admit that in this case it is not something to get too worked up about."

Phil Campbell, ScotRail's head of customer operations, said: “There has been no real review of our ticket office opening hours for 30 years, and it is important we keep up with the changing habits of customers who no longer rely on purchasing tickets in that way.

“With more than a 50 per cent drop in the use of ticket offices, heightened by the pandemic, we want to do everything we can to make sure everyone has a hassle-free journey.

“Over the coming weeks, we’ll be talking to customers, staff, and stakeholders about the improvements they can expect to see and experience as they travel around Scotland’s railway.”