Rail operators extend consultation on ticket office closures

Rail operators, including Avanti West Coast and Northern which run train stations in Stockport, have announced they have extended the public consultation on planned ticket office closures until 1st September.

Plans were announced earlier in July 2023 that would see the majority of manned ticket offices in England closed, with staff redeployed elsewhere in stations in broader customer service roles. In Stockport, plans would affect all ticket offices across the borough, with even major hubs such as Manchester Piccadilly and London Euston seeing ticket offices marked for closure.

Rail operating companies, which also manage ticket offices and stations in England, have now announced a 5 and a half week extension to the consultation following criticism of plans. The 21-day consultation had been due to close on 26th July.

On Friday 21st July, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham confirmed that he and colleagues representing other combined authorities across England had issued pre-action letters to rail companies, notifying them of their intention to begin legal proceedings to halt the closures of ticket offices. City-region mayors have argued that proposals have failed to adequately consider their impact on disadvantaged groups, such as passengers with disabilities or who are unable to use cashless means to purchase tickets. They also believe that the process set out in the 2005 Railway Act for closing part of a station has not been followed, which calls for a 12-week public consultation. As such, despite the extension to the consultation period, Andy Burnham confirmed in a statement on the Greater Manchester Combined Authority website, that he would continue legal action to block ticket office closures in the city-region.

In his statement, Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham said:

“This is finally some recognition that the three-week consultation period is a completely flawed process. You cannot take away thousands of ticket offices from our communities having only carried out a three-week consultation for 21 days.

“But this extension is not enough. The law is clear: a 12-week consultation is required on any proposal to close part of a station. The rail industry are simply extending a flawed process and for that reason, what has been announced will not stop our legal action.

“They have not followed the process set out in law in the Railway Act 2005 to deliver these changes which would have a huge impact on passengers, disproportionately impacting the disabled and most vulnerable. Mayors across England, including myself, will continue to pursue legal action if they do not completely stop this flawed consultation and begin again.

“And this is just the start of the fight. I am completely opposed to the plans to close almost every ticket office. This will isolate passengers and drive people away from rail at a time where in the North, confidence in services couldn’t be lower. I will be fighting against these changes all the way.”