Train companies delay ticket office cull in victory for campaigners
Campaigners are demanding rail bosses completely ditch plans to close ticket offices after they were forced to delay their cull.
Train bosses announced today passengers will be given an extra five weeks to have their say on proposals to shut almost every one in England. The firms had faced the threat of legal challenge after they gave the public just 21 days to provide feedback on the plan to close ticket counters at 974 railway stations.
Now the consultation, which had been due to end at midnight tonight, will be extended until September 1 - giving campaigners more time to fight the plans.
The Mirror is leading efforts to stop the closures, which will particularly hit the elderly, vulnerable and disabled.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said the extension of the “flawed” consultation process was not enough as he called on ministers and train bosses to think again.
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Passengers will get more time to have their say on the proposed ticket office cull (Maureen McLean/REX/Shutterstock)He said: “Mayors across England, including myself, will continue to pursue legal action if they do not completely stop this flawed consultation and begin again. And this is just the start of the fight. I am completely opposed to the plans to close almost every ticket office. This will isolate passengers and drive people away from rail at a time where in the North, confidence in services couldn't be lower. I will be fighting against these changes all the way."
Mr Burnham praised the Mirror “for shining a light on this vital issue and supporting our campaign to halt this shambolic consultation”.
Disability campaigners accused rail firms of failing to provide the consultation documents in accessible formats. Baroness Grey-Thompson revealed one train company had told a blind passenger “they don’t have braille but they can get someone to read it out”.
The Paralympian, who regularly goes by train between London and her home in the North East, warned the rights of disabled travellers were being “eroded”. She said: “This will have a significant impact on thousands of disabled people. Is it acceptable that a visually impaired person might have to wander around a station at night trying to find someone?”
The Royal National Institute of Blind People called on rail firms to ensure that consultation documents are made available in large print and braille.
Matt Stringer, RNIB’s Chief Executive, said: “Since plans to close train ticket offices were announced we have heard in great detail from blind and partially sighted people about the hugely damaging impact that this will have on their ability to travel independently, to buy tickets, and arrange assistance.
“We urge train operators to make the consultation itself more accessible [by] making formats such as large print or braille more quickly and easily available. We will continue to urge Mark Harper and Huw Merriman to halt these proposals and keep ticket offices open as the risk is to leave blind and partially sighted people behind a new barrier.”
Two disabled rail users had threatened to legally challenge the consultation. Sarah Leadbetter, who is registered blind, and Doug Paulley, a wheelchair user with hearing loss, had said it discriminates against disabled people. Mr Paulley said: "The proposals are a big problem for disabled people. We need staff for accessibility."
Kishwer Falkner, chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: “The needs of older and disabled passengers must be properly considered and addressed in any proposed rail ticket office closures. We welcome the decision to extend this consultation to ensure all those who need to can respond properly and express any concerns.
Labour's Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said: "The ticket office closure process has been a sham from the start. The Tories tried to ignore passenger and staff concerns and railroad through these huge changes to our rail network. They must halt this chaotic consultation process and come clean about their plans for the future of our railways."
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More than 170,000 people have so far responded to the consultation on the proposed ticket office closures, which is being organised by passenger groups.
Jacqueline Starr, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, said: “Train companies have listened to feedback, and are extending the time available to respond to the consultation on changes to how tickets are sold at stations to 1st of September. Operators are keen to give more people a chance to give their views on the proposals, so they can bring the railway up to date with dramatic shifts in customer buying habits, while supporting all its customers as the railway evolves and adapts.
“While local plans vary, the aim of the proposals is to bring staff out from behind ticket office windows to offer more help for customers buying tickets and navigating stations."
Anthony Smith, chief executive of the independent watchdog Transport Focus, said: “Transport Focus and London TravelWatch have received more than 170,000 comments already. This feedback is currently being logged and reviewed alongside individual train operator proposals.
“It is important that a diverse range of views from all parts of the community are heard in this consultation. New comments received will be read, considered and used in discussions with train companies in the coming weeks.”
What is happening with station ticket office closures? We answer vital questions
Q: What are the proposals?
A: To potentially close almost 1,000 ticket offices across England.
Q: Why?
A: Train operators say is about moving staff onto platform concourses, and that only 12% of tickets are now bought over the counter. But there are fears it could lead to 2,000 job losses across the network. Privately, many train operator managers are angry the Department for Transport forced them to make the announcement.
Q: Why the consultation?
A: Currently, ticket office opening hours are protected by Ticketing & Settlement Agreement Schedule 17, which determines the minimum they must remain open during the day. However, staff hours outside of the ticket office in question are unregulated.
Q: Who is impacted by closures?
A: Critics argue the elderly, vulnerable and disabled with suffer the most by removal of ticket offices and staff. There were 242,770 Disabled Persons Railcards in circulation at the end of March, 11% higher than the total at the QA same point in the previous year.
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