Commuters going in and out of Glasgow Central station and Edinburgh Waverley may well have found themselves being handed flyers in recent weeks calling to 'save ticket offices'.
After more than a year of various strikes and industrial actions on the railways, the sight of a picket line is nothing new for most.
However, particularly in Scotland many may not be aware of what the proposals around ticket offices entail, so here's the issue explained in five minutes.
Read More: Rail companies admit downsides of ticket office closures
What are the proposals?
Train companies are planning to shut up to 1,000 ticket booths over the next three years.
Why are they planning to shut ticket offices?
The Rail Delivery Group says just 12% of tickets are sold out of ticket offices, compared to 82% in the mid-90s.
It says that staff currently working in ticket offices would be moved to "multi-skilled ‘customer help’ roles".
They say that this will mean more staff are in place to engage with passengers, that their roles will be more engaging and disused ticket offices can be converted into community hubs, coffee shops and cafes.
Why is there opposition to the plans?
The RMT, the main railworkers' union, says the 'modernisation' plans are a smokescreen for a "bonfire of jobs".
Ticket office opening hours are covered by statutory regulation, the only station staffing position to have this protection. The union believes without that protection jobs will be lost so the train operating companies can maximise their profits.
Those opposed to the plans also say that disabled, elderly and vulnerable passengers will be adversely affected.
Estimates say 180 million journeys were made last year by people who used ticket offices.
The Royal National Institute of Blind People says a mass closure of ticket offices would have a “hugely detrimental impact” on the ability of blind and partially sighted people to travel independently.
Read More: Blacklisting, Brexit and Burley: The rise of RMT firebrand Mick Lynch
Which Scottish stations will be affected?
ScotRail ticket offices are not affected by the proposals, but there will be an effect in Scotland.
Avanti West Coast is proposing shutting its Glasgow Central office, while LNER wants to get rid of the one at Edinburgh Waverley.
Why is a consultation being held?
Because ticket office are protected by statutory regulation, any changes must be subject to a public consultation overseen by TransportFocus and LondonTravelWatch.
The process for closing ticket offices is set out in Schedule 17 of the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement.
What happens next?
The bodies which oversee the process will review the public responses, then either accept or reject the proposal by the train companies.
If they reject the proposals, the decision will be escalated to the secretary for transport, Mark Harper.
The consultation closes on September 1.
How many people have responded?
Close to 500,000 according to London TravelWatch and Transport Focus.
How do I respond to the consultation?
You can respond on the TransportFocus website here.
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