Competition for a “Perfect Ticket Office.”

Hand-in-hand with the improvement and brightening of their passenger stations, the Home railways are conducting a campaign for the betterment of their numerous city ticket offices. In most big cities, ticket offices have been opened in the main shopping centre, it being recognised that much increased business may be secured in this way. In the majority of instances, transportation is now sold across the counter of the city ticket office, and the old-fashioned style of doling out tickets through a heavy metal grille is fast dying out. It is probably to the big tourist agencies, like those of Messrs. Thos. Cook & Son, and Pick-fords Ltd., we are indebted for this welcome change, for these progressive agents of the railways have for long maintained attractive city offices, and encouraged contact between the ticket seller and the travelling public.

With the idea of still further improving, and standardising, their 71 ticket offices in London, the four group railways have organised a competition, open to all architects, for a design for a perfect ticket office. Prizes amounting to £500 are offered.