Rail tickets cut by travel agent cuts rail ticket Railticket sales cut by travel agent rail ticket sales

CHRISTIAN WOLMAR

Transport Correspondent

A leading travel agent with over 400 branches has decided to reduce the number selling train tickets because of the difficulties caused by rail privatisation.

AT Mays has cut the number of its branches dealing with rail travel by one-third to 152. Alan Ramsey, its spokesman, said: "There are complexities in dealing with 25 different train operators and therefore we will now only sell tickets from branches which do a considerable amount of business."

Mr Ramsey said that the company was talking to the Association of Train Operating Companies, which links the 25 rail operators, only two of which have been privatised so far, "but ATOC has no negotiating rights, which means we have to talk to all 25 individually. It creates administrative problems."

Labour seized on the decision by AT Mays, whose branches are concentrated in the north of England and Scotland as an example of the disadvantages of rail privatisation.

Brian Wilson, Labour's transport spokesman and MP for Cunninghame North, where AT Mays has its headquarters, said the company's decision gives the lie to government claims that rail privatisation would lead to an increase in sales outlets for rail tickets.

"During the passage of the Railways Act, this company warned precisely of the dangers of fragmenting the railways as far as ticket sales were concerned," he said.

"As usual, ministers took no notice and pressed ahead. With big cutbacks in the number of station booking facilities, ministers have insisted that travel agents would fill the gaps. Now we see travel agents turning their backs on the railways."

Thomas Cook pulled out of selling rail tickets last year.

Phil Wilkes, spokesman for the CRUCC, the rail watchdog, said AT Mays was one of the last travel agents selling rail tickets: "We have been concerned for some time that travel agents are pulling out of selling rail tickets. This means many people cannot buy tickets in advance and it may deter them from travelling on rail."

Alan Ramsey of AT Mays said: "We will try try to ensure tickets were still sold in rural areas where there are no local stations to provide the tickets."