Planned closure of ticket offices in England axed over accessibility concerns

Plans to close hundreds of rail ticket offices across England have been scrapped, ITV News' Rebecca Barry reports

The planned widespread closure of railway station ticket offices in England has been scrapped after the government raised concerns about the impact it would have on accessibility.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the government has asked train operators to withdraw their proposals.

The move was made in response to watchdogs Transport Focus and London TravelWatch announcing they opposed every single planned closure due to issues such as the impact on accessibility.

Mr Harper said: "The proposals that have resulted from this process do not meet the high thresholds set by ministers, and so the Government has asked train operators to withdraw their proposals."

Plans to close the vast majority of station ticket offices in England, plus Avanti West Coast’s ticket office at Glasgow Central, were brought forward by train operators and their representative body, the Rail Delivery Group (RDG).

This followed pressure from the UK Government to cut costs amid the drop in revenue caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union general secretary Mick Lynch said that it was a "resounding victory" for the campaign against the closures.

A train operator source told PA: "There is quiet fury in the rail industry about where we’ve got to. The plan was signed off by civil servants and ministers. They’ve U-turned."

In September, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak suggested closing ticket offices was "the right thing for the British public and British taxpayers" as "only one in 10 tickets are sold currently in ticket offices."

Transport Focus and London TravelWatch were required to review each proposal to close a ticket office based on criteria relating to customer service, accessibility and cost-effectiveness, before deciding whether or not to object.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of Transport Focus, said they had secured significant amendments to the plans but "serious overall concerns" remained.

He said: "Some train companies were unable to convince us about their ability to sell a full range of tickets, handle cash payments and avoid excessive queues at ticket machines.

"Passengers must be confident they can get help when needed and buy the right ticket in time for the right train."

The plans had long been opposed by unions and disability groups over concerns of lack of access.

The RMT union said the plans would mean people were "forced to rely on apps and remote mobile teams" which would be "catastrophic for elderly, disabled and vulnerable passengers trying to access the rail network."

In response train operators said staff would still be available to answer queries in train stations.

The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which was in charge of the plan, pointed out that times have changed significantly over the past few decades, with just 12% of tickets sold at offices today, compared to 82% in the mid-90s.

RDG chief executive Jacqueline Starr said the proposals were about adapting the railway to the changing needs of customers "in the smartphone era", balanced with the "significant financial challenge faced by the industry".

She continued: "While these plans won’t now be taken forward, we will continue to look at other ways to improve passenger experience while delivering value for the taxpayer."

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