Rail ticket offices around the region could see their hours cut – and up to 25 managers’ jobs at Greater Anglia could be on the line as part of a major restructure of the company’s services.
More people are now buying tickets online or from automatic ticket machines at stations.
The company says the proportion of people now buying tickets this way is 30% and that the proportion buying them using the Greater Anglia app has increased by 77% over the last year.
The company is now looking at reducing the hours at many of its ticket offices across the region to reflect the falling number of people buying the tickets in this way – although the company insists no more ticket offices will be closed completely.
Martin Moran, the company’s customer service director, said: “We have started consultation with staff and unions on reorganisation plans for ticket offices at a number of our stations.
“No ticket office is being closed and at this stage no decision has been made about which ticket offices will be reorganised. Any staff affected by the plans will be redeployed into other roles.
“The proposals reflect the changing ways in which customers are now buying their tickets. Currently 30% of tickets are bought online or at ticket machines and this is increasing.”
A spokesman for Greater Anglia said passengers could use ticket machines to buy “split tickets” – separate tickets for different parts of the journey – to cut the cost of travelling. By splitting the ticket at Manningtree on a weekend day return from Ipswich to London, you can save £6.60.
The company said last month that it had started negotiations with unions over proposals to lose 25 of its 570 management jobs.
Mr Moran said: “Over the next two years Greater Anglia is focused on driving up performance levels, raising customer service standards and introducing a complete fleet of new trains.
“We are currently undergoing a re-organisation to ensure that we are in the strongest possible position to deliver this transformational change by prioritising front-line customer service delivery.
“As part of this re-organisation, a number of management and support roles are being phased out, following due process.”
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