Mass protests over railway station ticket office closures

Mass protests over railway station ticket office closures^[1] were being held today across Greater Manchester and the country as Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle challenged a transport minister, insisting he is not being told the 'truth' by train operating companies.

Union protests were held this morning at Wigan North Western and Stalybridge stations - with a demonstration also scheduled for this evening at Manchester Piccadilly. Further protests have been pencilled in for Friday at Manchester Oxford Road and Manchester Piccadilly - and into next week.

The Manchester Evening News reported a ticket office will remain open at Manchester Victoria railway station, but Manchester Piccadilly's has been earmarked to shut^[2] under the controversial closure plans across England announced earlier this month.

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Rail operator Northern also confirmed plans to close manned ticket offices at 45 stations across Greater Manchester, although they will be retained at six other stations.

Avanti West Coast, which runs services to London Euston from Manchester Piccadilly, confirmed a consultation, which will see phased changes over three years, would apply to 16 stations it manages - including Stockport and Wigan North Western - as well as its ticket offices at Network Rail stations where it is the lead retailer, which include Manchester Piccadilly.

The ticket office at Piccadilly, however, 'will remain open short-term for customers who have complicated ticket queries which cannot currently be dealt with online or at a ticket vending machine', added Avanti. No time-scale for that was given.

The mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, also said the closure plans could be illegal.^[4] He said one train operator in particular had not assessed the impact the proposal would have on older and disabled people, but didn't identify which one.

The RMT union said it would be staging 'various events in defence of our ticket offices', saying it was a 'serious issue' for its members.

Tcket offices at Bolton, Manchester Victoria, Manchester Oxford Road, Rochdale, Salford Crescent and Wigan Wallgate stations would remain open, said Northern, but they would have reduced opening times.

A 21-day public consultation to gather passengers' views is underway, but the plans have been slammed by a number of charities and organisations.

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay questioned rail minister Huw Merriman after he said 'no currently staffed station will become unstaffed' as a result of the proposals, as Sir Lindsay noted the railway station in his constituency, Chorley in Lancashire, will effectively become unstaffed after 4pm.

His comments came during Transport questions in the Commons, during which several MPs raised concerns over the Government’s plans for the mass closure of England’s ticket offices and the impact they could have on the elderly and disabled.

Mr Merriman sought to reassure them, saying: "I passionately believe the best help anyone can give in a rail station is when they have personal interaction and that is very difficult when somebody is behind a glass screen – they are not able to then exit that point and then go and help."

He added: "I give the commitment again from the train operators that no currently staffed station will become unstaffed as a result of these changes."

Interrupting the proceedings, Sir Lindsay told Mr Merriman: "Can I just gently say Chorley matters to me as well but the ticket office is open all day. The proposal is only to have someone available nine until four, which is half the time the ticket office was.

"So please take up the people with disabilities quite rightly, but don't forget what you are being told isn't the case."

Conservative MP Gagan Mohindra (South West Hertfordshire) earlier asked the minister: “One of my constituents who works at a local station reached out to me last week with concerns about the department plans. In the email my constituent said, ‘By closing the ticket office you have taken away a focal point of contact.

"How is someone in need going to find me on a station that is as big and spread out as ours? Can the minister reassure us both that those that need assistance will be able to easily locate staff?"

Mr Merriman replied: "We know that 90 per cent of transactions are completed outside of the ticket office and this shift tends to increase in the stations which operate pay as you go.

"He asked about ensuring that staff at the ticket barriers are easily identifiable; I believe that is the case and we’ll certainly make sure that as these reforms are rolled out by the train operators that that continues to be the case."

Labour, meanwhile, has written to the Government, calling on ministers to address concerns about closures and the impact on accessibility and job security. It said the Government must answer questions about the length of the 21-day consultation period and the rollout of new ticket machine technology.

In the Commons, shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said: "The minister has managed to unite concerns from Labour MPs, his own backbenches, you, Mr Speaker, disability groups, trade unions and consumer groups about these closures.

"Even former Pointless presenter Richard Osman has voiced his concerns and it is little wonder because this consultation is completely pointless. Just 21 days for people to voice their concerns. No equality impact assessment and no answers on job security, on accessibility, on digital ticketing.

"So will the minister think again, acknowledge this consultation is a sham, pause it, and go back to the drawing board?"

Mr Merriman said the consultation is 'a robust process', adding: "I fundamentally believe that rather than the railway being stuck in the past, the railway needs to adapt and change in the manner that its passengers are doing so.

"If one in 10 passengers are operating the booking office purchase system, then that means that 90 per cent of passengers are not potentially seeing a member of staff. That member of staff can look after them, give them information, make them feel more reassured and assist them into the train – and that is a modern railway in action."

References

1. ^{^} railway station ticket office closures (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
2. ^{^} a ticket office will remain open at Manchester Victoria railway station, but Manchester Piccadilly's has been earmarked to shut (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
3. ^{^} by clicking here (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
4. ^{^} the closure plans could be illegal. (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)