In a recent article in the York Press, it has been revealed that the division of the notorious bus company National Express running trains on the East Coast, NXEC, is reducing ticket office opening hours. This is just one of several cost-cutting measures that the company is in the process of making in a desperate attempt to avoid heading into the red. A spokesperson, who is not named – therefore I can only blame Richard Bowker himself, for he must have checked it’s wording before it was released – stated that “The last train departs at 11.30pm [from King’s Cross] ” so what are those Peterborough services that run late at night? are they not trains? And don’t tell me National Express accidentally forgot to mention they were only talking about their own trains – they knew exactly what they were saying and hoped no-one picked up on it.
The spokesperson goes on to say ” tickets from ticket machines are not ‘more expensive’ than buying from the ticket offices” Oh really? So National Express have introduced ticket machines that handle all types of discount, Rovers, Rangers, and split ticketing? I think not! Can I take this statement to mean that one can walk past a ticket machine and pay on board if it does not sell the ticket or discount required? I wish!
The un-named one even claims that the Unions are lying over completely true statements that they are “rationing water and biscuits”, the NXEC spokesperson says it is “completely untrue” yet I have been on services where, in first class, on departure from Newcastle toward London they had run out of tea and coffee, no sandwiches or hot food was available and the basic offerings were being rationed. And yes, I did say from Newcastle with around 260 miles still to go to London! How dare this awful company accuse the Unions of lying when they make up blatant lies themselves?!
Can I take this statement to mean that one can walk past a ticket machine and pay on board if it does not sell the ticket or discount required? I wish!
Yes, that’s what the NCoC say (as long as the ticket office is shut and there’s no PTT machine).