An MP has said the decision to ditch ticket office closure proposals is a “victory for common sense”.
Train Operators recently put forward proposals to close ticket offices and redeploy staff. The Department for Transport responded to this with a consultation allowing rail users to have their say on the proposals.
The Secretary of State for Transport has announced that, given the proposals that have resulted from the process do not meet the clear principle set by ministers to redeploy staff, the Government have asked train operators to withdraw their proposals.
Secretary of State for Transport, Rt Hon Mark Harper MP said:
“The consultation on ticket offices has now ended, with the Government making clear to the rail industry throughout the process that any resulting proposals must meet a high threshold of serving passengers.
“We have engaged with accessibility groups throughout this process and listened carefully to passengers as well as my colleagues in Parliament. 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.
“We will continue our work to reform our railways with the expansion of contactless Pay As You Go ticketing, making stations more accessible through our Access for All programme and £350 million funding through our Network North plan to improve accessibility at up to 100 stations.”
Stockton South MP Matt Vickers, has been campaigning against the closures, specifically of Thornaby ticket office, speaking out in Parliament, taking it up with government ministers and encouraging residents to have their say in the consultation.
Matt Vickers MP said:
“This is a victory for common sense. Some of the most vulnerable railway users would have been most affected by these proposals. Elderly and disabled users, and those who are not digital would have faced real challenges”.
“Thornaby is a great little station and well connected with us recently getting a direct service to London. The number of people using the station and buying tickets at the ticket office in person is thought to be much higher than the national average. I’m grateful to everyone who took their time to have a say in the consultation”.
“A huge amount of investment is going in to our local stations, to improve them and make them more accessible and this would have been a backward step”.
“The proposals would have put another barrier in the way of elderly and disabled people getting out and about and its right that they’re ditched”.
