With the deadline for the Ticket Office Consultation looming, mayors across Northern England have written to train operators setting out the legal action they will take if the consultation to close railway ticket offices is not halted.
Last month, the Rail Delivery Group announced that the public would have 21 days to take part in a consultation regarding plans for the 1,007 ticket offices in the country.
Mayors across England have now come together to announce the legal action they will take, challenging rail operators TransPennine Express, Northern, London North Eastern Railway, East Midlands Railway, Thameslink, Greater Anglia and Avanti West Coast.
The proposals would also see station staffing reduced by over 250 jobs by Northern Trains alone.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham: “This consultation is shambolic and totally inadequate and our letter sets out how we will challenge it legally if it is not halted and reviewed now.
“The Government and Train Operating Companies know what they are doing here, they are trying to dress up staff reductions and cost cutting as ‘improvements to customer service'. What's worse is they are trying to railroad this through by way of a chaotic consultation – that is why we have come together with this legal challenge to suspend the process immediately.
“These closures will impact the most vulnerable in our society, including older and disabled people, and to give them just 21 days to feedback when they are less likely to have internet access, is outrageous. It is clear to us that they are not adhering to the law set out in Railways Act 2005 and we will fight this all the way.
“These plans represent the complete destruction of our rail services. They are trying to close almost every ticket office when services in the north are the most unreliable they have ever been, but prices are still through the roof. It's almost as if they are trying to drive people away from rail and we are not going to stand for this.”
Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said: “Ticket office staff are essential if we want our railways to be accessible to everyone. They offer advice, guidance – and sometimes, simply a friendly face to people who may already be socially excluded.
“As a commuter myself, I know our rail system is already too fragmented, with complex ticketing options across a patchwork of operators. On top of this, rail passengers in the North have endured months of disruption on the network – this frankly insulting proposal is the last thing we need.
“No amount of window dressing can hide the fact that this move is a smokescreen for savage cutbacks to the service, and any reduction in staffing will only make train stations less safe for the vulnerable.
“This consultation is barely worth the paper it's written on. We as Mayors are united on this issue. I'd say to the government and train operating companies: listen to the people who know their areas best.
“We will not stand by as this wilful act of sabotage is inflicted on our rail network.”
South Yorkshire's Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “I'm astounded that the Government think it's a good idea to close scores of ticket offices across the country.
“At a time when we're asking people to leave their cars at home and when more people than ever are trying to save money, access to advice, help and even a friendly face is more important than ever.
“After months, if not years, of travel chaos across the North, these plans to close ticket offices will make rail travel, if not impossible, then much harder for so many.
“That's why, on behalf of passengers we're calling for these plans to be scrapped, and for the government to finally show some ambition for the railways, not steadily dismantle what was once a world-class service.”
Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, said: “The measure of any decent society is how it treats its most vulnerable citizens. The government's plan to railroad through these ticket office closures, with a completely inadequate 21-day consultation, shows a complete disregard for the passengers, mostly disabled and elderly residents, who will feel its impact most.
“Not only do these proposals threaten to cut off some of the most vulnerable members of our society from accessing the railways, but they are also playing a dangerous game with people's livelihoods too. We cannot and should not accept a public transport system that leaves behind the very people who need it most.
“We need to attract more people to use our rail system if we are to address the climate emergency. These proposals will have the opposite effect. Our message to the government and train companies is clear: rethink this act of wanton vandalism and go back to the drawing board or we will make you.”
If the railways hadn’t been privatised, fares would be a quarter of what they are now and there would be no thought of closing ticket offices. Billions of pounds are thrown away paying Network Rail, train operating companies, Porterbrook Leasing, etc, etc, etc. Heaven help us if Great British Railways is added to this mess. The whole thing is a total shambles.
In the end, you will never stop such change, vast majority of people want to purchase goods and services online, using tablets and iPhones etc.I recently went abroad on holiday and at the airport everone had downloaded the necessary boarding cards, either to phones or paper for the QR code.Peopleof all different ages etc and some disabled people.The rail unions are the ones stopping progress by refusing to properly negotiate, where they might gain extra if they were realistic.It may all be political “torpedoing” by the RMT ( Mr Lynch ‘s favourite expression).A change of Government will make no difference to railway’s finances .
Maybe what we should do is put the rail industry into LOCKDOWN. Nobody use them for 2 weeks, all staff sent home with NO PAY during this time.
The UNIONS, DFT, RDG, and the Govt may then think, that the people need to and, will be listened to.
An excellent initiative against (DfT controlled) money-grabbing profiteers – the Train Operating Companies. Hope this ‘trident’ approach succeeds!
I have been saying that these closures are illegal since they were first announced.
They directly contravene the 2010 equality act where people must be treated equally according to their needs.
Thankfully these appalling closures are being challenged for their legality.
We do not need ticket offices, in fact, the majority of stations do not have them, and there are plenty of alternatives. It would be much better if we had a fairer ticket system, and if staff are to be used at stations, they could be safer and cleaner. My local station has a ticket office, the staff look bored because they have nothing to do. Get them out of the office, taking pride in their stations and making them safe. I also question the minority who need help. How do they use Manchester Metrolink for example? It is a machine or online only. We are in the 21st century not the mythical golden age of railways!
Good on the mayors – I hope other mayors, ibcluding Sadiq Khan in London, follow their lead. And, of course, I hope they succeed in forcing the government, the permanently dysfunctional DfT, the self-serving RDG, the individual TOCs and the greedy unions to LISTEN and respond positively to the ONLY people who matter – the railways’ passengers. We pay THEIR wages. Without us, they are nothing.