The Department for Transport is reported to be pressing ahead with the closure of most station ticket offices in England.
An announcement is expected this morning about the launch of a consultation, but closing the offices seems likely to spark a furious union reaction and add to the present industrial tensions. ASLEF is staging an overtime ban at most English train operators this week, and the RMT has called three 24-hour walkouts later this month.
Rail minister Huw Merriman told the Commons on 29 June that ‘together with the industry we want to modernise the passenger experience by moving staff out from ticket offices to more visible and accessible roles around the station. Staff will be better placed to assist passengers who need additional support and to provide face-to-face help in customer focused roles. To propose any changes to the opening hours, or the closure of ticket offices, train operating companies must follow the process set out in the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement.’
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch has said: ‘The train operating companies and the government must understand that we will vigorously oppose any moves to close ticket offices.
‘We will not meekly sit by and allow thousands of jobs to be sacrificed or see disabled and vulnerable passengers left unable to use the railways as a result.’
Ministers want to axe ticket offices because they are no longer used by most passengers. Ticket purchases will have to be made in other ways, such as from machines or on line, which is already the case in some other European countries, including the Netherlands and Sweden.