► Consultation
responses
total
tops
half
a
million


►


RMT
stages
closures
protest
march
in
Westminster


► Train
services
disrupted
as
unions
strike
again

The
number


of
responses
to
proposals
to
close
more
than
900
station
ticket
offices
in
England
has
topped
half
a
million,
as
the
time
to
react
runs
out.

The
consultation,
which
was
extended
at
the
end
of
July,
expires
at
midnight
tonight.

The
two
passenger
watchdogs,
Transport
Focus
and
London
TravelWatch,
are
responsible
for
collating
and
analysing
the
messages
they
have
received
so
that
they
can
give
formal
responses
in
the
autumn.

Rail
Delivery
Group
chief
executive
Jacqueline
Starr
said:
‘Since
the
introduction
of
the
smartphone,
the
numbers
using
ticket
offices
have
dropped
to
historic
lows
and
that
trend
is
rapidly
accelerating.
For
rail
to
survive
and
thrive
long-term,
like
any
responsible
industry,
we
need
to
change
and
evolve
with
our
customers.

‘We
wanted
to
give
as
many
people
as
possible
the
opportunity
to
have
their
say
on
the
industry
proposals.
We
are
extremely
grateful
to
everyone
for
taking
the
time
to
submit
their
views,
and
we
will
work
with
the
passenger
watchdogs
to
incorporate
this
valuable
feedback
into
our
plans.

‘The
taxpayer
is
continuing
to
subsidise
the
railway,
and
we
believe
that
now
is
the
right
time
to
move
staff
to
more
flexible,
engaging
roles
so
our
staff
can
better
support
customers
face
to
face
with
a
whole
range
of
needs,
from
finding
the
right
ticket,
to
navigating
the
station
and
getting
support
with
accessibility
needs,
while
reducing
costs
to
taxpayers.

‘We
also
understand
that
some
customers
have
particular
challenges
and
they
should
be
supported
in
any
transition.  Over
the
coming
weeks,
we
will
work
closely
with
passenger
watchdogs
to
review
and
adapt
individual
proposals
where
necessary.’ 

Objections
to
the
closure
proposals
have
been
continuing.
Meanwhile,
no
trains
are
running
on
most
lines
in
England
today
as
ASLEF
stages
a
24-hour
strike.
RMT
members
are
set
to
walk
out
for
24
hours
tomorrow,
while
ASLEF
will
simultaneously
ban
overtime.
Again,
train
services
are
expected
to
be
limited,
with
no
service
on
some
routes.

The
RMT
staged
a
protest
march
to
Parliament
and
Downing
Street
yesterday,
as
the
deadline
for
responses
to
ticket
office
closures
was
approaching.

RMT
general
secretary
Mick
Lynch
said:
‘We
are
sending
a
clear
message
to
the
government
and
profiteering
rail
operators
that
our
ticket
offices
must
not
be
closed.

‘The
campaign
to
save
our
ticket
offices
has
amassed
widespread
public
support
and
forced
an
extension
of
the
consultation.

‘However,
our
campaign
will
continue
beyond
the
consultation
deadline.
We
need
to
pressure
politicians
in
every
constituency
and
to
highlight
the
critical
role
that
ticket
offices
and
station
staff
play
in
supporting
passengers
of
every
type
to
reach
their
destinations.

‘Closing
ticket
offices
will
lead
to
the
widespread
destaffing
of
stations
and
make
the
railways
inaccessible
to
thousands
of
disabled,
vulnerable
and
elderly
passengers.

‘We
will
not
quietly
sit
back
and
allow
this
to
happen.
Our
members
will
continue
their
industrial
campaign
to
save
their
jobs
and
to
protect
railway
passengers.’