Residents may wish to make their views known on the proposed closure of railway ticket offices nationally. Here in Sanderstead we have both Sanderstead and Purley Oaks Stations. The staff who man the ticket offices are very helpful and Sanderstead in particular often has a queue. Not everyone likes to buy from a machine or online. Below are the current ticket office opening times and proposed ticket assistance hours for Sanderstead, Purley Oaks, Purley and East Croydon.

Sanderstead current ticket office hours: weekday 06.10-19.30, Saturday 0700-13.35, Sunday 08.10-16.25. Proposed ticket assistance hours: weekday 06.15-23.45, Saturday 06.15-23.45, Sunday 08.30-23.30. First to last assistance available.

Purley Oaks current ticket office hours: weekday 06.30-18.40, Saturday 07.20-14.10, Sunday closed. Proposed ticket assistance hours: weekday 06.30-18.40, Saturday 07.20-14.10, Sunday closed. No step free access to any platform.

Purley Current ticket office hours: weekday 05.55-20.25, Saturday 05.55-20.25, Sunday 08.10-16.45. Proposed ticket assistance hours: weekday 06.15-23.40, Saturday 06.15-23.40, Sunday 06.15-23.40. First to last assistance available.

East Croydon: currently 24 hour ticket office hours, proposed 24 hour ticket assistance hours.

See below for more information from Thameslink.

Public consultation launched

You may have heard in news this week that a public consultation has launched to consider how tickets are sold and to improve customer service. Passengers are invited to comment to transport watchdogs London TravelWatch and Transport Focus on proposals which have been made by rail operators across the country. The proposed changes aim to better support passengers by moving station staff out from behind traditional ticket offices windows, which would close, and onto station concourses making them more visible and accessible. No decisions have been made as the industry is currently at local public consultation stage. However, in short, if these proposals go ahead:No stations that have staff today will become unstaffedWe would continue to provide assistance in line with our Accessible Travel Policy (ATP) commitmentsFor full details of this consultation (including a comparison of current and proposed hours when ticketing assistance would be available), and details of how to have your say, please visit our website. The consultation period is open until Wednesday 26 July 2023.

Public consultation launched

Have your say

From Wednesday 5 July 2023, passengers are being invited to comment to transport watchdogs Transport Focus and London TravelWatch on proposals made by rail operators about how tickets are sold and to improve customer service.

The proposal aims to better support passengers by moving colleagues out from behind traditional ticket offices windows, which would close, onto station concourses where customers need them most, making them more visible and accessible.

The aspiration is that colleagues would move to roles that cover a broader range of customer needs in the future – from travel and fares advice to accessibility assistance – following engagement with both colleagues and the unions.

These potential plans support wider moves to modernise the railway, put customer service at its heart and would offer a more varied and interesting role for colleagues.

No final decisions have been made as the industry is currently at local public consultation stage.

No stations that have staff today will become unstaffed and station opening hours would remain the same.

For a comparison of current and proposed hours when ticketing would be available, please view the station-by-station consultation document.

If these proposals go ahead, we would continue to provide assistance in line with our Accessible Travel Policy (ATP) commitments.

The proposed changes reflect that the way customers buy tickets has changed significantly in recent years, with a reduction in ticket office use. Most tickets are now bought online or from ticket machines, which can sell the vast majority of ticket types, and eticket readers are fitted across the GTR network. Infact 9 out of 10 tickets are now purchased outside of traditional ticket offices.

Our colleagues have a valuable role in helping customers, which these proposals aim to enhance. In-person assistance would still be available to help customers use machines and advise on the best value-for-money fares.

Welcoming everyone to the railway is central to all industry reforms and colleagues would continue to provide accessibility support and assistance, meeting the needs of all customers as well as continuing to offer travel advice and to support the safety and security of our stations for example by being a presence to deter anti-social behaviour.

How to take part in the consultation

The public consultation runs for three weeks from 5 July to 26 July 2023.

To see what is proposed at your station please view the station-by-station consultation document.

As this public consultation is being carried out by Transport Focus and London TravelWatch, GTR (Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express) cannot take your feedback directly. The only way to ensure your response is accepted is to complete the consultation by emailing or writing to Transport Focus or London TravelWatch. Details on how to contact the watchdog for your station are available here.

You can also find out more about the consultation and having your say by visiting transportfocus.org.uk and londontravelwatch.org.uk.

Unfortunately, if you do not submit via the main consultation, your response will not be considered. We cannot pass on feedback on your behalf.

Printed copies of the information about this consultation can be obtained on request at staffed stations. If you require an alternative format, then please call 0345 026 4700 or textphone 0800 138 1018.