Stoke among train stations to lose ticket offices – the full list
Ticket offices at Stoke, Kidsgrove and Stafford railway stations are to permanently close under Government plans revealed today (July 5). Up to a thousand ticket offices are to close at stations across the country.
Crewe - Cheshire's busiest station - is also impacted along with Sandbach, Congleton and Holmes Chapel. Passengers will now be forced to use train operators' apps or websites to buy tickets, or to use the self-service machines at stations.
The plans were proposed by the Rail Delivery Group, an industry body representing private railway operators. The RMT has claimed operators had already issued hundreds of redundancy notices to staff in what General Secretary Mick Lynch called "a savage attack on railway workers their families and the travelling public".
RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: "This is catastrophic for elderly, disabled and vulnerable passengers trying to access the rail network. The arrangements for ticket office opening hours, set out in Schedule 17 of the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement, are the only statutory regulation of station staffing.
“It is crystal clear that the government and train companies want to tear up this agreement and pave the way for a massive de-staffing of the rail network. Some of the train operators issuing our members with statutory redundancy notices today are cutting two thirds of their workforce.
"Fat cat rail operators and the government do not care one jot about passenger safety, or a well-staffed and friendly railway open to all to use. They want to cut costs, make profits for shareholders, and run the network into the ground without a thought as to the vital role the rail industry plays in the country's economy."
Jacqueline Starr, Rail Delivery Group chief executive, said: “The ways our customers buy tickets has changed and it’s time for the railway to change with them. With just 12% of tickets being sold from ticket offices last year, and 99% of those transactions being available on TVMs or online, our proposals would mean more staff on hand on to give face to face help with a much wider range of support, from journey planning, to finding the right ticket and helping those with accessibility needs.
“Our commitment is that we will always treat our staff, who are hugely valued and integral to the experience our customers have on the railway, fairly, with support and extra training to move into new more engaging roles. We also understand that our customers have differing needs, which is why the industry widely sought the views of accessibility and passenger groups when creating these proposals, and will continue to through the consultation. We encourage those who wish to take part to go to their local train company website or visit Transport Focus or London Travelwatch.”
Full list:
Northern Trains
Accrington
Adlington
Alderley Edge
Alnmouth
Appleby
Ashton-Under-Lyne
Atherton
Barnsley
Beverley
Bingley
Birchwood
Bradford Forster Square
Bramhall
Bredbury
Bridlington
Brinnington
Broad Green
Broadbottom
Bromley Cross
Buckshaw Parkway
Burnage
Burnley Central
Burnley Manchester Road
Buxton
Chassen Road
Cheadle Hulme
Chorley
Congleton
Cross Gates Yorks
Daisy Hill
Davenport
Deansgate
Dinting
Disley
Driffield
Earlestown
East Didsbury
Eccles
Eccleston Park
Edge Hill Liverpool
Farnworth
Flixton
Garforth
Garswood
Gatley
Glazebrook
Goole
Gorton
Grange-Over-Sands
Greenfield
Guide Bridge
Guiseley
Hadfield
Hag Fold
Hale
Halewood
Halifax
Handforth
Hattersley
Hazel Grove
Heald Green
Heaton Chapel
Hebden Bridge
Hexham
Hindley
Holmes Chapel
Horsforth
Hough Green
Huyton
Ilkley
Keighley
Kirkham & Wesham
Knutsford
Lea Green
Leeds Travel Centre
Levenshulme
Leyland
Littleborough
Lostock Parkway
Marple
Mauldeth Road
Meadowhall
Menston
Mexborough
Morecambe
Morpeth
Mossley (Greater Manchester)
Mossley Hill
New Mills Central
New Mills Newtown
New Pudsey
Newton-Le-Willows
Northwich
Parbold
Poulton-Le-Fylde
Poynton
Prescot
Rainhill
Redcar Central
Reddish North
Roby
Romiley
Rose Hill (Marple)
Rotherham Central
Salford Central
Sandbach
Settle
Shipley
St Annes-On-The-Sea
St Helens Junction
Sunderland
Swinton (Yorkshire)
Swinton (Greater Manchester)
Thatto Heath
Thorne North
Todmorden
Ulverston
Urmston
Walkden
Warrington West
Wavertree Technology Park
West Allerton
Whaley Bridge
Whiston
Whitehaven
Widnes
Cross Country
Does not operate stations directly.
Says it will be consulted as part of the process and “review proposals carefully”
Avanti West Coast
Birmingham International
Birmingham New Street
Carlisle
Coventry
Crewe
Glasgow Central
Lancaster
London Euston
Macclesfield
Manchester Piccadilly
Oxenholme Lake District
Penrith North Lakes
Preston
Rugby
Runcorn
Stoke-on-Trent
Stockport
Stafford
Warrington Bank Quay
Wigan North Western
Chiltern Railways
London Marylebone
Beaconsfield
Denham
Gerrards Cross
High Wycombe
Seer Green & Jordans
Aylesbury
Aylesbury Vale Parkway
Great Missenden
Haddenham & Thame
Princes Risborough
Stoke Mandeville
Wendover
Banbury
Bicester North
Leamington Spa
Warwick
Warwick Parkway
Birmingham Moor Street
Dorridge
Solihull
Northolt Park
South Western Trains
Proposing to close all ticket offices and switch to “more face-to-face support” for customers.
East Midlands Railways
Alfreton
Boston
Chesterfield
Hinckley
Kidsgrove
Long Eaton
Mansfield
Melton Mowbray
Newark Castle
Oakham
Skegness
Spalding
Wellingborough
Beeston
Burton-on-Trent
Corby
East Midlands Parkway
Kettering
Loughborough
Market Harborough
Narborough
Sleaford
Stamford (Lincs)
Grand Central
Does not operate stations directly.
Arriva Rail London
(Operate London Overground)
Not part of consultation
Greater Anglia
Audley End
Billericay
Bishop’s Stortford
Braintree
Brimsdown
Broxbourne
Burnham-On-Crouch
Cheshunt
Clacton-On-Sea
Colchester Town
Diss
Elsenham
Ely
Enfield Lock
Frinton-On-Sea
Great Yarmouth
Harlow Town
Hatfield Peverel
Hertford East
Hockley
Ingatestone
Kelvedon
Lowestoft
Manningtree
March
Marks Tey
Newport (Essex)
Prittlewell
Rayleigh
Rochford
Rye House
Sawbridgeworth
Shelford
Shenfield
South Woodham Ferrers
Southend Victoria
St Margarets
Stansted Mountfitchet
Stowmarket
Thetford
Tottenham Hale
Waltham Cross
Ware
Whittlesford Parkway
Wickford
Witham
Wivenhoe
London North Eastern Railway
(Operates services on the East Coast Main Line)
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Darlington
Durhan
Grantham
Newark Northgate
Retford
Wakefield Westgate.
Southeastern
Ticket offices at medium and larger sized stations will close.
The same for smaller stations, where the only staff currently on the station is the person in the ticket office.
Great Western Railway
No closures but reduced opening hours at some stations.
Hull Trains
Unaffected
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References
- ^ Council rule-breakers to be slapped with 25p a day penalty (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
- ^ Newton (www.cheshire-live.co.uk)
- ^ NEWSLETTER: Sign up for email alerts direct to your inbox (data.reachplc.com)