London Assembly responds to cancellation of rail ticket office closures

Following today’s announcement from the Department for Transport that the proposed rail ticket office closures would not be going ahead, Keith Prince AM, Chairman of the London Assembly Transport Committee, said:

“The decision to overturn the closures is clearly the right decision for Londoners, given the feedback from London TravelWatch and other key stakeholders.

“The London Assembly Transport Committee published a letter to London TravelWatch in August, in which we raised a number of serious concerns regarding the proposed closures.

“Thousands of Londoners rely heavily on staff at ticket stations to help navigate their journeys, and we note that London TravelWatch have raised similar concerns, with 99% of responses sent to London TravelWatch being objections to the proposals.

“When the proposals were put forward to close some ticket offices, it was important that key stakeholders gave their views to ensure that any closures would not directly affect the day-to-day running of stations across the country.

“It is essential that train stations are appropriately staffed so train travel is accessible for all Londoners,  particularly disabled passengers, where ticket offices are the main point of contact for their travel.

“In our letter, we called for the Rail Delivery Group to carry out further work with affected groups so that train travel remains accessible for all, and if that work was not undertaken, then the proposals should not go ahead.

“Today’s announcement highlights the importance of listening to the views of people who could be impacted, and we are proud to have served as a voice for Londoners throughout this consultation.”