Nigel Huddleston MP welcomes the decision to preserve rail station ticket offices.
The Railway Delivery Group (RDG) had initially proposed the closure of nearly all of the country's 1,007 ticket offices, citing the need for cost reduction following a decline in passenger numbers post-Covid. Where possible, the staff were to be deployed elsewhere within the station to serve customers, but this option raised many concerns with train passengers.
Following a public consultation which attracted 750,000 responses (most of which opposed the proposed changes), Mark Harper MP, the Secretary of State for Transport, urged train operators to rescind their ticket office closure proposals. In response, Great Western Railway (GWR) and West Midlands Trains (WMT), both serving the Mid Worcestershire area, announced their commitment to keeping all ticket offices open.
Nigel Huddleston MP sent in a response to the consultation to voice his concern for Evesham, Worcestershire Parkway, and Droitwich Spa stations. Reflecting the concerns voiced to him by many constituents, he emphasised the importance of having staff at local stations to assist customers with ticket purchases, journey advice, and support, especially for disabled and elderly individuals.
Welcoming the announcement, Nigel Huddleston MP said:
“I’d like to thank every constituent that reached out to me to express their views while these proposals were being considered.
“I conveyed constituents’ concerns to my ministerial colleagues and train operators directly, making the case for maintaining accessible railway services.
“Ticket offices are valued by many passengers, and I am therefore pleased to hear that closure plans are being dropped.”
Mark Harper MP, Secretary of State for Transport, said:
“The consultation on ticket offices has now ended, with the Government making clear to the rail industry throughout the process that any resulting proposals must meet a high threshold of serving passengers.
“We have engaged with accessibility groups throughout this process and listened carefully to passengers as well as my colleagues in Parliament. The proposals that have resulted from this process do not meet the high thresholds set by Ministers, and so the Government has asked train operators to withdraw their proposals.
“We will continue our work to reform our railways with the expansion of contactless Pay As You Go ticketing, making stations more accessible through our Access for All programme and £350 million funding through our Network North plan to improve accessibility at up to 100 stations.”
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