Consultation on train ticket office closures extended to 1 September

A consultation to close hundreds of train station ticket offices – including Littleborough’s – has been extended until 1 September.

The consultation had been set to close this Friday (28 July) following a three-week period but after feedback will now run for a further five and a half weeks.

The Rail Delivery Group has proposed closing all but the busiest station ticket offices. These would still sell a full range of tickets.

Northern has confirmed Rochdale Station’s ticket office is amongst those that will remain open – with reduced hours – but Littleborough’s would face closure with the station only being staffed on a part-time basis between 9am and 1pm from Monday to Saturday.

The Pennines station would be unstaffed on a Sunday.

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 1 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.”

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, who is one of several mayors calling for legal action, says the extension is "not enough" and will not stop legal action being taken.

 

Read more: Mayors initiate legal process with up to seven-day warning to rail companies to abandon ticket office closures consultationPublished: 25 July 2023

 

He said: “This is finally some recognition that the three-week consultation period is a completely flawed process. You cannot take away thousands of ticket offices from our communities having only carried out a three-week consultation for 21 days.

“But this extension is not enough. The law is clear: a 12-week consultation is required on any proposal to close part of a station. The rail industry is simply extending a flawed process and for that reason, what has been announced will not stop our legal action.

“They have not followed the process set out in law in the Railway Act 2005 to deliver these changes which would have a huge impact on passengers, disproportionately impacting the disabled and most vulnerable. Mayors across England, including myself, will continue to pursue legal action if they do not completely stop this flawed consultation and begin again.

"And this is just the start of the fight. I am completely opposed to the plans to close almost every ticket office. This will isolate passengers and drive people away from rail at a time where in the North, confidence in services couldn't be lower. I will be fighting against these changes all the way."

Tony Lloyd, Rochdale’s MP, is urging members of the public to respond to the public consultation.

Mr Lloyd said: "In Rochdale, Littleborough’s ticket office is earmarked for closure yet for many, ticket offices provide a place of safety for both staff and passengers. The presence of staff often deters abusive and anti-social behaviour yet where railway stations are unstaffed they do not offer that possibility, even with CCTV cameras available. Would-be passengers will be deterred from using them. 

"For disabled passengers, ticket office staff are usually the only staff present when they require assistance. The Royal National Institute of Blind People recently found that only 3% of people with sight loss said they could use a ticket vending machine without problems and 58% said it was impossible. 

"Some services would be harder to access for all passengers if staffed ticket offices were replaced by ticket vending machines, such as refunds, discounts, seat reservations and bus connections. 

"It is vital that staff have clarity about their job security and that vulnerable passengers have certainty that they will not be forgotten about as changes are made to the way our stations operate." 

Mr Lloyd has submitted his response to the consultation and has also outlined concerns to the Transport Secretary and Greater Manchester's Mayor, Andy Burnham. 

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To view the consultation, please visit Northern’s website: www.northernrailway.co.uk/consultation-2023

If you would like to comment on these proposals as part of this consultation please contact Transport Focus by 1 September 2023 using the details:

• Email: ticketoffice.Northern@transportfocus.org.uk
• Freepost: RTEH-XAGE-BYKZ, Transport Focus, PO Box 5594, Southend on Sea, SS1 9PZ

If your response relates to a certain station please include the station name in your response.