UPDATE 27/07/23 - The consultation on this has been extended until 1st September to allow time for more responses and Rebecca is encouraging all residents to have their say. For more information on the consultation visit: www.c2c-online.co.uk/consultation
Rebecca Harris MP visited Benfleet train station this week to speak to station staff about the ongoing Ticket Office Consultation along the c2c line. Train companies are currently consulting on proposals that will see more staff in accessible roles around stations to support customers. This does not mean that no staff will be available to help you buy a ticket. Redistribute staff from behind the desk of the ticket offices and onto the platforms so they become far more customer focused and available to provide face-to-face help. This is exactly how workers for the London Underground now operate and it has proven to be successful.
Rebecca Harris MP commented: "Given the concern over this issue locally, I have met and spoken with c2c’s managing director who has assured me that Benfleet Ticket Office will remain open. I recognise that disabled passengers would benefit the most from having staff available on the concourse and in the station lobby, face-to-face help, and giving passengers support where they need it most. I have been assured that no currently staffed station will be unstaffed as a result of any reforms."
Rob Mullen, Managing Director at c2c, said, "I was pleased to have the opportunity to meet with Rebecca this week to discuss the current Ticket Office Consultation and extension of contactless payments coming to the c2c route later this year. Our local communities, customers and stakeholders are really important to us so ensuring we can have open, frequent and frank discussions is key. It was helpful to hear some of the questions constituents have raised with her, which I have shared with my team.
"With less than a week to go until the consultation closes, there is still time for customers to share their feedback on the proposals. We want to hear from our customers - their local experiences are really important and will be key in ensuring our plans for the future meet the needs of our customers and communities."
Rebecca also welcomes the Government’s £20 million investment to expand contactless ‘tap in-tap out’ ticketing options to 53 stations in the South East, including all of the stations on our line from Shoeburyness into central London. One of the great benefits of this is that through simplified fares passengers that use pay-as-you-go will be charged the best price for the journey at that particular time of day.
Customers who have Railcards are still able to use the pay-as-you-go system- by using a c2c Smartcard from the station or ordering one online, you can buy tickets with your Railcard discount and then load them onto the Smartcard. If you feel unable to do this yourself then the staff based at the station will be able to help with this. Tickets will still be able to be purchased at the station with the Railcard options at the ticket office, the machines in the entrance or online beforehand.
FAQ's
Reason for the Consultation
The way that we operate on our rail system has changed quite rapidly over the last decade and nationally just 1 in 10 tickets are now purchased at ticket offices. The industry also needs to adapt to a 25% revenue reduction compared to pre-pandemic as passenger behaviour has altered. Therefore, the proposal by train operators, including c2c, is to redistribute staff from behind the desk of the ticket offices and onto the platforms so they become far more customer focused and available to provide face-to-face help. This is exactly how workers for the London Underground now operate and it has proven to be successful.
UPDATE 27/07/23 - The consultation on this has been extended until 1st September to allow time for more responses and Rebecca is encouraging all residents to have their say. For more information on the consultation visit: www.c2c-online.co.uk/consultation
Which c2c stations are staying open
All 25 c2c ticket offices are at risk of closure except Fenchurch Street, Benfleet, Basildon, Grays and Southend Central. These will remain open with a change in opening hours.
Passengers using cash and without smartphones
As modern ticketing and payments methods roll out more widely, the Government will ensure that all passengers are able to buy a ticket including those who need to use cash or do not have access to smartphones or the internet. Moreover, there are no plans to remove ticket machines from stations.
Alternative purchase options for specific tickets
Following these changes, if a customer is unable to buy a specific ticket before boarding the train because it was unavailable at the station, they would be able to buy one during their journey or at their destination.
