Ayrshire stations' ticket office opening hours could be slashed under new ScotRail plans

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Proposed cuts to railway station ticket office opening hours could see Ayrshire facilities closing up to six hours earlier.ScotRail has announced plans to reduce the opening hours of 120 of its 140 ticket offices – including Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine stations.The rail operator said ticket offices had seen business halved over the last 10 years as more passengers bought tickets at machines and online.Changes at Ayr station would see closing times change from 11.15pm to 8.30pm Monday through to Saturday; and from 11.05pm to 8pm on Sundays.Kilmarnock station would see closing times change from 11.35pm Monday to Friday to 5.30pm between Monday and Thursday, 7pm on Friday and 6.15pm on Saturdays.And Irvine station, which closes at 10.40pm from Monday to Saturday, would shut at 5.45pm Monday to Thursday; 6.45pm on Friday and 6.30pm on Saturday.

Irvine’s current Sunday 6.25pm closing time would change to 4.30pm.ScotRail said the changes wouldn’t compromise customer safety, there would be no reduction in current staff numbers and no impact on duties, such as gritting stations – adding that staff would be redeployed to frontline duties such as additional customer assistance.But Colin Smyth, South Scotland MSP and Scottish Labour’s shadow cabinet secretary for Net Zero, energy & transport & rural affairs, has slammed the proposed cuts, saying they “will hit passengers” and “threaten jobs”.He said: “Once again rail passengers are being left with a second-rate service.“Routes are being slashed, fares are being hiked and now ticket desks are being shut.“Whatever ScotRail might say, these cuts will hit passengers, threaten jobs and undermine station safety.“We won’t get people back on trains by cutting rail services to the bone.“It