Dear Robert
Thank you for your letter of 15 January to Ruth Kelly, enclosing correspondence from Mr Stewart Palmer, Managing Director of South West Trains (SWT), concerning Travel Centres at SWT stations. I am replying as Minister responsible for rail.
SWT has put forward proposals to close Travel Centres at its stations as part of plans to revise ticket retailing and improve station environments. the proposals outline a comprehensive range of measures to be put in place to ensure passengers have continued access to the full range of rail products.
To expand the answer I gave on 3 December 2007, to ensure the railway can operate efficiently certain changes can be carried out without the need for a consultation. An example of this would be the replacement of a facility on a like for like basis (replacement of a life expired waiting shelter with a modern unit).
However, a proposal to change the use of part of a station or facility, such as a Travel Centre, to another use which is non rail related is governed by the Network Modifications (Closures) regime contained in the Railways Act 2005 ("the Act"). SWT's proposals to change the use of Travel Centres to a non rail facility will be dealt with under the provisions of the Act.
The person making the proposal should first ensure that the change is eligible to be treated as a minor modification and if so carry out a consultation with relevant stakeholders. These should include other operators who use the station and Passenger Focus or London TravelWatch.
The department has produced a Minor Modifications Guidance Note which gives clear detail of the process and is published on the department's website at www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/passenger/stations/minoropguide
SWT has followed this guidance and carried out the required consultation with stakeholders. The department will consider the proposals against the requirement of the Act that the part of the station/facility is not necessary for the opreration of the station and provision of railway passenger services.
The ticket office at Salisbury is fitted with induction loops which help passengers who are hearing impaired to get the service they require.
I hope this is helpful.
Best wishes
Tom Harris.
15 January 2008
Tom Harris MP
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Department for Transport
Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DR
Dear Minister
South West Trains – Closure of Travel Centres
There is very great concern and controversy in my constituency following the decision of the Board of Directors of South West Trains to close every Travel Centre on their network except that at Waterloo Station.
I have been in correspondence with Stewart Palmer, Managing Director of South West Trains, since last October and I have met him to discuss the issue.
I asked a Parliamentary Question (copy attached) and I thought your answer was quite clear – that consultation was mandatory and that no part of the existing premises could be closed unless it was to be used for other railway use.
In his letter to me of 3rd January the Managing Director makes it clear that they have now consulted with various groups (though not with the travelling public using Salisbury Railway Station) and that they intend to go ahead and close the Travel Centre.
During the course of our exchanges, it has become clear that South West Trains management has seriously misjudged public use and appreciation of the Travel Centre at Salisbury. They were unaware of the physical facilities offered. Their suggestion of doing all business through three glass windows is, by the assessment of myself and a large number of other people quite unrealistic. I have had special representations from those who are hard of hearing and many representations from those who point out that there will be very long queues of people resulting from the mixture of ticket sales and enquiries.
This is nothing to do with ticket retailing and technology and everything to do with the level of service from South West Trains.
I attach a copy of the letter to me from Stewart Palmer dated 3rd January 2008.
Please can you help to persuade South West Trains not to close the Travel Centre at Salisbury Railway Station – or indeed at their scores of other railway stations?
Yours sincerely
03 January 2008
Dear Mr Key,
Salisbury Station Travel Centre
Thank you for your letter of 7th December 2007. I am sorry it has taken me a long time to respond, but I do like to deal with MP's letters personally and I have been very busy. Mr Harris is correct in the answer given in so far as we have to go through a procedure which is laid down under the "Station Change" mechanism. This was designed at the time of rail privatisation to prevent train operators, or Railtrack as it then was, from closing stations without regard to passenger concerns. The procedure was subsequently amended to include "minor closures" of facilities at stations. I must confess that my understanding of the position was that we were not required to go through this procedure providing we were not altering the availability of facilities at a station. Hence the answer I gave to you in good faith.
However a member of my station development team was in fact, without my knowledge, enacting the procedure before you asked the question in the House. We have approached the groups we are required to consult with, including "Passenger Focus" as the representative of passenger interests, and subject to conclusion of that process, we intend to go ahead with the closures of all our travel centres, except Waterloo, over the coming year. I do understand the concerns that the people of Salisbury have, but as we discussed, I do believe that the changes in ticket retailing and technology have significantly reduced the value of this facility to rail passengers. We can make better use of both the staff resource, and the property. As I told you we are not making any of the staff redundant, they will be redeployed to strengthen our ticket office staffing.
You will recall that we had a disussion about the car park extension at Salisbury, and how this was going to be linked to the station. This is a project being managed by Network Rail and I have not been able so far to track down the team dealing with this. As soon as I have definite information I will write to you again.
Yours sincerely,
Stewart Palmer
Managing Director
25 October 2007
Stewart Palmer
Managing Director
South West Trains
Friars Bridge Court
41-45 Blackfriars Road
London
SW1 8NZ
Dear Mr Palmer
I have just been informed that South West Trains intends to close the Salisbury Station Travel Centre. Please could you tell me why this is happening?
I would also be interested to know what consultations you have carried out with the travelling public on your proposals or with the Salisbury residents and tourists and indeed where you have published your intentions.
The Salisbury Travel Centre is an extremely useful asset to Salisbury Station, not only to residents of Salisbury but also to the many tourists who arrive and leave by train. With this in mind, what alternatives will be in place to handle travel enquiries?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
Robert Key MP
Constituency Office
12 Brown Street
Salisbury
SP1 1HE
Ref: 1451702
Dear Mr Key,
Thank you for your letter dated 25 October. I note your personal concerns over our plans to close our Travel Centres, including the one in Salisbury, which is in your constituency.
I appreciate that some customers will be concerned by what appears to be the loss of a key service, however I would like to assure you that this is not the case. Whilst it is true that we are closing the travel centres themselves, we are doing so in order to reallocate our existing resources to provide a more robust service within other areas of the business.
All out ticket clerks can advise and issue tickets for the more complex journeys our passengers need to take and passengers will still be able to get the same level of advice and service they had before, albeit they will need to ask at a ticket office rather than in a travel centre.
I know that some passengers like the seating and comfort of the travel centre, and for those customers the option of ringing our Customers Services team, based in Southampton, on 0845 6000 650 is always there. Our Customer Service team have a wealth of knowledge and experience between them and passengers do not have to leave the comfort of their own home to get accurate, reliable, fast service and advice, with next day delivery of travel documents and tickets.
In terms of our consultations with the residents and tourists of Salisbury, this was an in house decision taken at Director level. As customers can still get the same range of tickets and advice at the same station, it is my view that "consultation" is inappropriate. In terms of advice, please rest assured that as soon as dates of the closures are known, advance information will be given at the affected station.
Thank you for your personal interest in this matter,
Yours sincerely
Stewart Palmer
Managing Director
22 November 2007
Stewart Palmer
Managing Director
South West Trains
Friars Bridge Court
41-45 Blackfriars Road
London
SE1 8NZ
Dear Mr Palmer
Thank you for your letter of 7 November which reached me on 19 November.
I regret to say I find your letter very disappointing.
I believe you underestimate the level of concern by your customers. I assure you it is not just ‘some’.
You confirm that you are closing the Travel Centres in order to increase the profitability of other areas of your business. Can you confirm that the rumours are true that you intend to relocate the newspaper and magazine outlet to the current Travel Centre?
Would it not provide a better service for customers to co-locate the Travel Centre and the Salisbury District Council Tourist Office? Have you considered doing this?
It seems to me that you are not familiar with the layout of Salisbury Railway Station. It is not physically possible, as you claim in your letter, that passengers will get the same level of advice and service they have before. The ticket office interface with the public consists of two glass-fronted positions. It is often very difficult to hear what your staff are saying behind the glass because of the level of noise in the station entrance hall. This is particularly true of passengers who are hard of hearing (and there are a lot of them in Salisbury). Given the length of the queues of passengers undertaking the simple operation of buying tickets, I am sure you can appreciate that having people in the same line-up who are asking complex questions about difficult travel arrangements will not optimise your profits and will certainly not optimise the service to your customers. At least under the present arrangements those hurrying to buy tickets can do so whilst those seeking information are greater leisure are also able to do so.
You say that your customer services team based in Southampton ‘is always there’. I do not doubt it. However, I do wonder if you have tried telephoning the number you give. I assure you it is very often impossible to speak to anybody.
It is disappointing that you suggest that some passengers like the seating and comfort of the travel centre. The fact is, there is no seating in the travel centre. It is far from comfortable – but it is extremely useful.
Finally, you claim that ‘customers can still get the same range of tickets and advice at the same station’ so ‘consultation’ is inappropriate. Please can you explain to me why, under the conditions on your operators franchise, you believe it is acceptable for the Directors to decide to close the Travel Centre at Salisbury and elsewhere thus reducing the service to the travelling public?
Yours sincerely
Parliamentary Question
Monday 3 December
Department For Transport
Salisbury Railway Station: Closures
Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether, under the terms of their franchise, South West Trains is permitted to close the travel centre at Salisbury Railway Station (a) without consultation and (b) without equivalent alternative arrangements being made. [169287]
Mr. Tom Harris: South West Trains cannot close the Travel Centre at Salisbury Station without consultation, unless the facility will be used for an alternative railway use such as a waiting room. Such closures can be treated as a minor modification which is governed by the closure provisions in the Railways Act 2005.
7 December 2007
Stewart Palmer
Managing Director
South West Trains
Friars Bridge Court
41-45 Blackfriars Road
London
SE1 8NZ
Dear Mr Palmer
I was glad of our discussion in the House of Commons earlier this week. You will recall that I raised with you the question of the proposed closure of the Travel Centre at Salisbury Railway Station.
In my letter to you of 22 November I asked you to explain why, under the conditions of your operators franchise, you believed it was acceptable for the Directors to decide to close the Travel Centre at Salisbury and elsewhere thus reducing the service to the travelling public.
In your letter of 7 November 2007 you responded that the decision to close the travel Centres was an in house decision taken at Director level and that as customers could still get the same range of tickets and advice at the same station, ‘it is my view that ‘consultation’ is inappropriate’.
This contradicts the views of the Transport Minister Tom Harris who in answer to a Parliamentary Question on Monday 3 December has said quite specifically that South West Trains cannot close the Travel Centre at Salisbury Station without consultation unless the facility will be used for an alternative railway use such as a waiting room.
You will recall that you had discussed with me possible commercial alternative uses for which rent could be received by South West Trains.
In view of this answer from the Transport Minister please will you reverse your decision to close the Travel centre at Salisbury – and the Travel Centres elsewhere?
Yours sincerely
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