ScotRail to reduce ticket office hours at 54 stations

Opening hours at 54 ScotRail-operated ticket offices are set to be reduced in 2025.

The operator has said the changes are being made to deliver more viable customer support at stations, with hours also set to be extended at 12 stations. Hours will remain the same at 77 others.

The plans – described by the RMT as ‘closure by stealth’ - are a scaled down version of a proposal to close three ticket offices and reduce opening hours at 117 others that was paused in 2022.

ScotRail has also said no ticket offices will close in its new proposals. The 2022 proposal to close Cartsdyke, Clydebank and Woodhall ticket offices has since been withdrawn.

Examples of reduced hours due to start next year include:

• Edinburgh Gateway: 0610-0015 Monday-Saturday and 0845-0020 Sunday to become 0625-2200 Monday-Saturday and 0900-2200 Sunday
• Kilmarnock: 0630-2335 Monday-Saturday and 1015-2330 Sunday to become 0630-1800 Monday-Thursday, 0630-1945 Friday, 0715-1815 Saturday and 0910-1650 Sunday
• Motherwell: 0615-0000 Monday-Saturday and 0810-2330 Sunday to become 0615-2030 Monday-Saturday and 0810-2000 Sunday
• Paisley Gilmour Street: 0555-2310 Monday-Saturday and 0725-2305 Sunday to become 0555-2145 Monday-Saturday and 0700-2200 Sunday
• Springburn: 0630-1322 Monday-Saturday to become 0730-1015 Monday-Thursday, 0645-1115 Friday and closed on Saturday
• Wick: 1010-1714 Monday-Saturday to become 0750-1330 Monday-Friday and closed on Saturday

Meanwhile Lockerbie, current open 0735-2045 Monday-Saturday and 1450-2220 Sunday, will be open longer from 0700-2020 Monday-Saturday, with Sunday hours moving to 1050-1750.

Figures published by ScotRail showed 43% of its tickets are now bought online, compared to 5% 10 years ago. Station sales have gone from just under 45% to 16% over the same period. Of those ticket office sales, 90% are from just 20 stations.

20% of sales are via station ticket machines.

Phil Campbell, ScotRail Customer Operations Director, said: “The independent passenger watchdog Transport Focus carried out an extensive consultation on these proposals, which received feedback from thousands of people across Scotland. We have listened to our customers and updated our proposals based on that feedback.

“These changes will provide a service that is better suited for today and the ticket-buying habits of our customers, as well as create an environment that improves safety and customer support.”

ScotRail bosses say there will be no job losses or redundancies, with staff redeployed to ticket barrier and revenue protection roles.

In response, the RMT said it was launching a "vigorous compain to protect ticket offices in Scotland".

General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “This decision by ScotRail and the Scottish Government is a real setback for passengers who depend on staffed ticket offices for safe, accessible, and reliable rail services.

“The proposed cuts ignore the needs of the travelling public and put essential services at risk. We call on the Scottish Government to reverse this course and maintain the services that passengers deserve.

"RMT will not accept any closures of ticket offices by stealth and the vital service will be vigorously defended by the union in a mass campaign if necessary."