Yorkshire Coast Railway Ticket Offices Saved

It seems a Government U-turn means local railway station ticket offices in Scarborough, Whitby and Bridlington won't close after all.

A proposal to close most rail ticket offices in England has been dropped. The transport secretary Mark Harper says after hearing from passengers and accessibility groups, he's asked train operators to withdraw their plans.

The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) announced over the summer that it intended to shut almost all of the nation's 1,007 train station outlets in an effort to reduce costs after a post-COVID fall in passenger numbers. The plans would have seen staff move out of ticket offices and on to station platforms, concourses and ticket halls, adopting new ‘customer help’ roles.

But the proposal prompted a strong backlash from rail user groups, the public and local councils. East Yorkshire Council wrote to the Secretary of State for Transport to call on the rail industry not to proceed with the plan.

The RMT rail union is among those welcoming today's announcement.

Responding to the announcement a spokesperson for Transport for the North said:

“We are pleased that plans to close ticket offices are not being taken forward. As today’s report from Transport Focus clearly shows withdrawing ticket office staff would leave passengers very disadvantaged and would be a barrier to people using the railway. The way that people buy their tickets is changing, and we need to take account of that, but the presence of staff is about so much more than simply retailing tickets. They are a human point of contact, including helping passengers who might need assistance or providing reassurance for those who might be wary of travelling alone.

“We believe ticket office staffing should be looked at only as part of a wider review of stations, that takes in pay-as-you-go, retail and other services. Done correctly, we can ensure that reform supports growth and the needs of all passengers. But it must not be to the disadvantage of any station users, especially in regards to accessibility and safety.”

Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate for Scarborough and Whitby, Alison Hume, said:

“The Conservatives' shambolic plans have fallen apart under scrutiny. It is a huge relief to our local community that Scarborough Ticket Office has been saved from closure along with hundreds of others across the country, and that hard-working staff will not lose their jobs.

The entire consultation was rushed and discriminatory, with disabled and elderly passengers excluded from the process.

The Conservatives have now been forced into a humiliating climb down. Tory ministers have serious questions to answer on their colossal waste of taxpayers’ money.  

A Labour government will put passengers back at the heart of our railways and deliver a better deal for tax payers by bringing rail back into public ownership as contracts expire, with every decision tested against delivering for the passenger. “

Roberto Weeden-Sanz, the Conservative candidate for Scarborough and Whitby has welcomed the Government’s decision to ask train operators to withdraw proposals to close ticket offices across the country following the extensive consultation earlier this year.

Roberto Weeden-Sanz said

“I am delighted that the Government has saved Scarborough Ticket Office from closure following the clear community support to keep it open. I, along with many neighbours in Scarborough and the wider community, objected to the plans during the consultation and I have raised the issue numerous times with the Department of Transport over summer.”

“Scarborough’s situation as a terminus and the fact our community has many elderly and less abled rail users, means that it is important our ticket office remains open. Living in Scarborough I know first hand how well used the ticket office is and will always work to makes sure the voice of our community and particularly those who are vulnerable are heard.”