Fury at closure of a number of practice stations as campaigners name age discrimination

Plans to close almost all England’s remaining practice station ticket places of work are one other instance of age discrimination within the UK, campaigners have warned.

The Rail Delivery Group unveiled proposals earlier this month that would result in the closure of a lot of the 1,000 places of work, with amenities solely remaining open on the busiest stations.

Campaign teams have additionally raised fears that aged or susceptible passengers who shouldn’t have a smartphone or use the web might miss out on cheaper tickets.

A 21-day session was launched this morning to permit travellers to present their views. It means the entire variety of closures shouldn’t be identified.

There are 1,007 stations in England run engby practice companies working underneath contracts issued by the Government.

Ministers say the closures are wanted to make financial savings after the business was bailed out by greater than £15 billion in the course of the pandemic.

They level out that solely round 12 per cent of fares are actually purchased from a ticket workplace – down from 82 per cent in 1995 – with most opting to purchase on-line and use a digital ticket or purchase them from machines.

The Rail Delivery Group, which is the business physique, stated transferring ticket workplace employees on to station platforms and concourses would “modernise customer service”.

The proposals would additionally carry England into line with nations equivalent to Sweden and Switzerland.

Sweden’s nationwide rail operator closed the final of its ticket places of work in 2021 whereas Switzerland’s railways additionally run with most ticket places of work.

But Dennis Reed, director of the Silver Voices marketing campaign group for over-60s, stated the “rushed” plans are an “attack on older people”.

He warned that ticket workplace closures will scale back the variety of employees accessible for recommendation, incapacity assist, and worth for cash tickets and safety considerations will mount considerably.

Mr Reed the transfer discriminates towards those that don’t use the web and who have to make funds by money.

Although nearly all of folks now ebook tickets on the web, 12 per cent of all tickets bought final 12 months have been on the stations. Most of those have been by older passengers.

“Politicians must not sit on the fence as traditional ticket offices are wiped off the face of the earth,” he stated.

“Older people already feel isolated as technological advances leave them behind and this drastic policy will do more to confine us to our local areas.

“Visits to the family and for entertainment will become ever more challenging and dangerous. “The Government must step in and save our ticket offices, on behalf of the 12 million state pensioners in the UK. Parties which go along with this service transformation will pay a big political price”.

After a session, the Government will make the ultimate resolution on which places of work will probably be axed. It shouldn’t be identified how shortly the primary websites will shut, though three years have been allotted for any closures.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper may have the ultimate say on the variety of closures.

According to business figures, the Department for Transport runs 1,766 practice stations in England. Of these, 43 per cent – or 759 – already function with out a ticket workplace.

An additional 40 per cent (708) have ticket places of work staffed half time, and 17 per cent (299) full time. The overwhelming majority of those 1,007 stations, both with a part-time or full-time workplace, will shut underneath the plans.

But main hubs, equivalent to London Waterloo, is not going to face the axe.

Passengers will probably be requested to pay for journeys by tapping contactless playing cards on obstacles, utilizing self-service machines, or shopping for tickets from employees on station concourses or trains if attainable.

Ticket workplace employees can be re-deployed on to platforms to assist folks use machines or help with bookings made on-line.

Rail Delivery Group chief government Jacqueline Starr defended the plans once they have been introduced.

She stated: “The ways our customers buy tickets has changed and it’s time for the railway to change with them.”

“Our commitment is that we will always treat our staff, who are hugely valued and integral to the experience our customers have on the railway, fairly, with support and extra training to move into new more engaging roles.

“We also understand that our customers have differing needs, which is why the industry widely sought the views of accessibility and passenger groups when creating these proposals, and will continue through the consultation.”

Labour attacked the “sham consultation” and accused the federal government of “dodging accountability”.

Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh stated: “Railroading this botched plan through in just 21 days, without consideration for staff and disabled passengers, only risks exacerbating the managed decline of the rail network.

“Ministers should stop dodging accountability, halt this sham consultation, and come clean on the damage these closures will do.”

A Liberal Democrat spokesperson stated: “It is vital that with or without ticket offices, major stations are staffed from the first to last trains to ensure that passengers can get assistance if they need it.

“Passengers particularly those that are aged or susceptible will proceed to want to have the ability to converse to employees in individual, whether or not that is shopping for tickets, assist if trains are delayed or cancelled or recommendation about methods to proceed their journey.”