Avanti West Coast has said it is proposing to slash the number of staff it has at Glasgow Central station by more than a third as part of plans to close its ticket office there.
Speaking at a Commons transport select committee, Managing director Andy Mellors told MPs: “We have about 27 staff, I think it is, at the moment at Glasgow Central.
“These proposals would, if they were enacted in full as we proposed, reduce that number by about nine or 10.
“I must stress that we are only one of the organisations that provides customer support and presence at that station.”
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He added that the proportion of Avanti West Coast journeys made from Glasgow Central using a ticket bought from its office at the station is 1%.
Simon Moorhead, chief information officer at the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents train operators, told MPs that closing station ticket offices is partly about cutting costs.
Asked by the Transport Select Committee if that was the reason for the proposals, he said: “Cost is a part of it but primarily we’re following the needs of our customers and the demands of our customers.
“This year, around 80% of the tickets that have been issued are either bought online through digital channels or they are with customers tapping in and tapping out from gate lines or machines on platforms.”
He added: “The customer trends have been very clear over recent years.”
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