Trade Unions are uniting over railway ticket office closure plans.
Train operators extended the time available to respond to the consultation reviewing how tickets are sold at station until midnight on 1st September 2023.
A coalition has formed opposing the planned closures. Many disability rights campaigners eloquently explain their day to day experiences and the need to have staff at stations to make the railways accessible.
The Daily Mirror is supporting the campaign. At a rally outside 10 Downing Street in Whitehall, London on 31st August 2023, protestors held placards with the paper’s masthead.
The Daily Mirror say: “The Tories are backing controversial proposals drawn up by train bosses to close ticket counters at 974 railway stations in England. Passengers have just hours left to stop their local ticket office closing with the public consultation closing at midnight tomorrow.”
Closing ticket offices will make the railways ‘less safe, secure and accessible’. The RMT believe that this is part of the Government and rail companies’ plans to ‘de-staff’ the railway network.
In the final push for public responses to the consultation, the objective of the trade unions is to defeat, dilute and delay these plans.
If the public watchdogs, Transport Focus and London Travelwatch formally object to ticket office closures, then the decision will go to the Transport Secretary personally. There would be a renewed campaign to put the pressure directly on the Transport Secretary Mark Harper to keep ticket offices open. After all, he is responsible.
Lewisham trade unionists and local residents were out in force marching to support the coalition opposing ticket office closures. Stations across the borough of Lewisham are likely to lose their ticket office staff and local residents who are concerned can comment on all ticket office closures for every train company in our area by email: ticketoffice@londontravelwatch.org.uk or follow the link here
