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.