OLDER passengers will put off travelling if one of Scotland’s busiest train stations switches to a self-service ticket system, it has been warned.
ScotRail has admitted it has yet to decide whether there will be a ticket office in the revamped Queen Street station once the £100million refurbishment is completed.
The train firm said more and more people chose to buy tickets from machines, potentially making the staffed office unnecessary.
But the move, which comes as automation becomes more common in supermarkets, banks and cinemas, has worried Age Concern as well as unions.
Herald View: New Queen Street station must serve all its passengers
Brian Sloan, chief executive of Age Scotland, said: “A closure like this could adversely affect older and more vulnerable customers, and even discourage some from travelling.
“Many older people feel excluded by the growing trend towards automation and prefer the human interaction with staff when buying tickets. They may have security concerns with machines or simply find them confusing to use.
“Ticket offices play a valuable function in assisting customers, answering their questions, and helping them find the right ticket.”
Phil Campbell, ScotRail Alliance's head of Customer Operations, said the way customers buy tickets is changing.
He said: "More and more of our customers are buying tickets online or using self-service ticket machines, which means we need to change to reflect that.
“No decisions have been made about what these changes will look like. We are working closely with our people and our customers.
“We have a very clear policy of no compulsory redundancies – everyone who currently has a job will still have one.”
Herald View: New Queen Street station must serve all its passengers
ScotRail also said that a passenger assist programme for customers who require help will continue to operate.
However unions warned against the move.
RMT union chief Mick Hogg said: “We are working with ScotRail just now in order to address this issue.
“Be under no illusion, if we don’t get the assurances or guarantees that we actually need, then we will be taking ScotRail on.”
During the ongoing refurbishment the ticket office, which employs around 20 people, has been moved out of the station into the former Vale pub, on Dundas Street.
Mr Hogg added: “This actually came about as a result of a comment in a railway magazine last month. Reference was made to the redevelopment of Glasgow Queen Street not having a ticket office. This set all sorts of alarm bells ringing as far as the trade union is concerned.
“We found that comment unacceptable, that people who actually work for ScotRail have to find out their future by reading comments in a railway magazine.
“The people currently working in the ticket office have signs above their counters saying buy online.
“That is more or less saying if you buy online, the people working in this ticket office will be out of jobs
“This is unacceptable and we will not be accepting any ticket office closure in any way, shape or form.”
A video produced by ScotRail showing an artist impression of the redevelopment works does include a ticket office inside Queen Street station.
Herald View: New Queen Street station must serve all its passengers
The redevelopment works will enable longer trains to use Queen Street, which is one of the busiest stations in the city. This will give the trains a greater capacity to ease overcrowding on key routes, including Glasgow to Edinburgh.
Meanwhile, work has already begun to transform the front of Queen Street station. with an upgraded and extended concourse out towards George Square.
The new-look Queen Street will include a glass fronted station on to West George Street and George Square.
The project is expected to be finished by the end of 2019.
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