Online sales prompt Amtrak to close local ticket counter

Shanaye Watkins works in the Amtrak ticket office on Friday at Union Station in downtown Texarkana. As more passengers choose to purchase tickets online, Amtrak announced they will close the Texarkana ticket office. Watkins has been with Amtrak for 11 months and hopes to find new opportunties within the company.
Shanaye Watkins works in the Amtrak ticket office on Friday at Union Station in downtown Texarkana. As more passengers choose to purchase tickets online, Amtrak announced they will close the Texarkana ticket office. Watkins has been with Amtrak for 11 months and hopes to find new opportunties within the company.

With more and more passengers buying train tickets online, Amtrak has decided to close its ticket counter in Texarkana, Ark.'s Union Station on May 15.

"Like so many other things in the modern economy, train passengers are buying their tickets more and more online," said Marc Magliari, Amtrak spokesperson. "This has caused ticket sales volumes to fall below sustainable levels at certain smaller stations, so the company has to make decisions. We are always looking for ways to be more efficient, and we try to be careful as we are partially funded with tax dollars."

The station will remain open during operating hours, and the waiting room will be available.

"Amtrak will also hire a caretaker to open and close the station and keep it clean," Magliari said. "However, stations under this status have the option of partnering with Amtrak to host a station. Hope, Ark., does this."

Marshall, Texas' station ticket counter will close, as well, on June 29. Three employees will be affected-two in Texarkana and one in Marshall.

"Other positions could be found for them," Magliari said.

Main Street Texarkana's efforts to preserve Texarkana's historic downtown includes Union Station, which is at the cultural center of Texarkana's history. MST recently gave money and volunteer labor to beautify the area passengers see when they disembark with new landscaping.

Ina McDowell, Main Street Texarkana executive director, is relieved the station will remain open despite rumors to the contrary.

"Initially, we were very concerned, and we didn't want to see any jobs lost downtown. But we are very glad to hear the Amtrack station will remain in operation, serving customers in our historic Union Station," she said.

McDowell said more beautification work will be done.

"We will continue to work with Amtrak in efforts to preserve the building with the building owner," she said.

Arkansas-side Mayor Ruth Penny-Bell recognized the need for Amtrak to cut costs, but laments the changing business model.

"I was glad to hear we will still have our station, but I was not happy with the ticket counter closing," she said. "As the article said, most people buy their train tickets online nowadays, so the company has to streamline and cut waste where they can and where ridership dictates. But from those of us of an older generation, it hurts not being able to go to the station and buy your ticket there."

"Sometimes it feels like the world is moving too fast, and many of us are being left behind," she said.

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