The British government has halted plans to close hundreds of rail ticket offices across England. Transport Secretary Mark Harper said they were withdrawn after they failed to meet high passenger standards, despite previously being approved by the Department for Transport. Unions and disability rights groups voiced concerns over the proposals. The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, had argued that only 12% of tickets are currently purchased at kiosks, leading to support for the closure scheme.
The efforts to close the ticket offices were initiated by rail operators in a bid to reduce overheads. However, complaints surfaced regarding accessibility for those with disabilities, and the passenger watchdogs, Transport Focus and London Travelwatch, received overwhelming public objections from over 750,000 respondents concerned about a range of issues, including the capability of ticket machines and the availability of passenger assistance.
In response to the objections, the government has backed down from the policy. Announcing the decision to scrap the closures, Harper said that any proposals must meet a high threshold of serving passengers. He went on to say, “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.”
Despite the decision, senior rail bosses were angry about the sudden reversal, with one source indicating that the move was disingenuous, as the plans had previously been approved
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