Penultimate post in this thread. Guardian write-up of today's announcement: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/oct/31/rail-ticket-office-closures-in-england-train-operators
Here's a pull quote of SoS Mark Harper's statement today, the entire thing is doublespeak.
Good news, Transport Focus says (tho FYI their website is very slow right now):
> Transport Focus is objecting to all of the current proposals to close ticket offices.
There is a response to each of the individual TOC proposals. I will look for expert comment on these this evening and share.
Thank you to everyone who replied to the consultation and boosted posts from this thread.
https://www.transportfocus.org.uk/train-station-ticket-office-consultation/
Transport Focus's website is down ...
The inaptly named "passenger bodies" report on the consultation tomorrow, 31 Oct.
My own expectation is that plans to close ticket offices will go ahead, though it could go slower (with pilots run) or faster. There is already evidence of destaffing due to not filling vacancies created by staff turnover.
House of Commons Transport Committee has written to the DfT having heard evidence from a range of stakeholders on proposals to shut ticket offices.
(Fwiw, I'm not feeling optimistic.)
#NotJustTheTicket #SaveOurTicketOffices #disabled
https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/41805/documents/207168/default/
Update on Sarah Leadbetter and Doug Paulley's judicial review of the consultation. Supported by Transport for All and the @rnib.
> The pair are calling for the consultations to be declared unlawful and any decision to close ticket offices based on their results to be quashed.
On the problems caused by the closure of railway ticket offices in Japan, via London Reconnections.
[NB: this article mentions the death of a blind passenger at an unstaffed station.]
Transport for All are appealing the DfT's decision to not release their Equality Impact Assessment for closing ticket offices.
Mind boggled at the tremendous amount of energy expended on this just to have us maintain existing often poor accessibility standards. Nothing has been improved. And probably an economist will get another 3000 words or so out of the very highly intractable problem of UK productivity.
Last week, the Government rejected our Freedom of Information request, in which we asked to see their analysis of how ticket office closures would impact disabled people. The reasons they gave for denying our request are tenuous, and we have today submitted an appeal against this decision. One of the key reasons the government refused our initial request was the need for ministers to have a “safe space” […]
Last day to help disabled people and railway workers keep ticket offices staffed.
Otherwise ... 974 ticket offices will close, certain types of ticket become unavailable, and turn-up and go stops.
Grim, isn't it?
Easiest way to help is to use the RMT's campaign tool: https://www.rmt.org.uk/campaigns/rail/save-ticket-offices/
Thanks to everyone who already spoke up.
The threat to close railway ticket offices will affect many disabled travellers who rely on ‘real’ people to help them on their journeys.
#SaveOurTicketOffices #Bylines @RMTunion https://centralbylines.co.uk/closing-railway-ticket-offices-an-existential-threat-to-many
Ann 🧡 (she/her)
Central Bylines