East Yorkshire Council Opposes Railway Ticket Office Closure Plan

East Yorkshire Council is to write to the Secretary of State for Transport to call on the rail industry not to proceed with its plan to close thousands of ticket offices.

Yesterday the deadline for public feedback on the plan was extended by six weeks. It's thought over 170 thousand people have already responded.

Bridlington Councillor - Mike Heslop-Mullens - doesn't think the reasons put forward for the closures stack up.

Train operators announced yesterday that they are extending the time available to respond to the consultation reviewing how tickets are sold at stations by an extra five and a half weeks. It means passengers will now have until 1 September to complete the consultation, which they can do online on their local train company website or by visiting www.transportfocus.org.uk

In increasing the time available, the train operators say they are listening to feedback and hope that more people will have the opportunity to have their say in to changes to how tickets are sold at stations.

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. At the same time ticket vending machines are being upgraded to offer a wider range of fares, and we have committed that no customer will have to go out of their way to buy a ticket.

“We encourage those who want to view the plans or take part to go to their local train company website or visit Transport Focus or London Travel Watch during the consultation period.”

Councillor Heslop-Mullens says losing Bridlington's ticket office would be a massive inconvenience for local people and might be discrimination.

Although local plans vary, overall the proposals aim to bring staff out from behind ticket office windows to provide more support for customers buying tickets and navigating stations, as they move in to new, multi-skilled ‘customer host’ roles. The train companies say that "through these more engaging careers, staff would be better able to support all customers to buy tickets, plan their journeys and navigate stations."

Speaking in a debate about the proposed closures at yesterday's East riding Council meeting, Councillor Paul West expressed concern that the plan to close ticket offices has been based on they way they are used at big urban stations and doesn't take account of their greater importance at smaller railway stations.

Independent passenger watchdogs Transport Focus and London Travel Watch are facilitating the consultation and scrutinising operator plans, according to criteria set out on their websites.

Commenting on train company announcements to extend the ticket office consultation period, Anthony Smith, chief executive of the independent watchdog Transport Focus:

“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.”

Customers who wish to view the plans should to go their local train company websites or visit https://www.transportfocus.org.uk/train-station-ticket-office-consultation by 1 September 2023