reater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and 4 different mayors are making ready to take authorized motion in opposition to practice operators in an effort to cease the closure of slightly below 1,000 ticket workplaces.
Industry physique Rail Delivery Group drew up plans to shut the workplaces throughout the nation and can transfer onto station concourses to help passengers there.
This consists of workplaces at among the UK’s busiest stations, similar to London Waterloo, London Euston, Birmingham New Street and Manchester Piccadilly.
Writing within the Daily Mirror, Mr Burnham mentioned: “For the good of the country, it’s a campaign we must win.
The rail operators may be fronting up these plans but make no mistake - the Government is standing behind them and handing over the axe.
“If the Government and the rail industry get their way, it will erode what remains of public trust in travelling by train – and hasten Britain towards a faceless, soulless society.
“We do not believe the train operators have taken the required steps in law to make a change on this scale and hear the voices of those most affected. We believe we can stop them in their tracks.”
The group of mayors consists of: Mr Burnham, the mayor of Liverpool City-Region Steve Rotheram, the mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin, the mayor of South Yorkshire Oliver Coppard and the mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Dr Nik Johnson.
Mr Burnham mentioned the workplace closures will make it tougher for individuals with disabilities and aged individuals to journey by practice.
Last week within the House of Commons, transport minister Huw Merriman confronted stiff warnings over closing the workplaces however mentioned: “99% of all tickets can be purchased over a ticket machine or online.
“Then in terms of the 1% that we then need to work on, as part of this process, I have charged the industry and officials to speed up the process so that more can be purchased in that particular manner, and changing ticket machines so that can occur.”
He mentioned the method has taken under consideration passengers with “protected characteristics”.
Mr Merriman added: “Crucially, no currently staffed stations will be unstaffed as a result of this reform.
“Staff will still be there to provide assistance and additional support to those who need and want it.”
Mr Burnham mentioned a 21-day session on the plans weren't lengthy sufficient to contemplate the complete implication of the closures.
He mentioned: “When I look at how our railways are run, it seems to me that those in charge are on a mission to run them down and turn passengers away so they can just focus on the most profitable parts.
“The rail operators may be fronting up these plans but make no mistake – the Government is standing behind them and handing over the axe.”
According to the Mirror, the group of mayors will take authorized motion in opposition to Thameslink, Northern, LNER, TransPennine Express, Greater Anglia, Avanti and EMR.
The mayors will communicate to media on Tuesday morning.
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