The
RMT
has
criticised
closures
of
Southeastern
ticket
offices,
which
it
says
were
closed
for
about
70,000
hours
or
2900
days
more
than
they
should
have
been
between
June
last
year
and
last
month.

The
union
obtained
its
figures
from
the
state-owned
operator
through
a
Freedom
of
Information
request.

At
five
stations,
ticket
offices
were
open
for
only
1
per
cent
or
fewer
of
their
advertised
hours,
and
17
offices
were
closed
for
at
least
50
per
cent
of
their
advertised
hours.

The
RMT
is
claiming
that
the
closures
are
‘part
of
a
deliberate
attempt
to
reduce
reliance
on
ticket
offices,
despite
the
unprecedented
opposition
to
proposed
closures
during
a
2023
consultation’.

Proposals
to
close
virtually
all
National
Rail
ticket
offices
attracted
750,000
responses
which
were
nearly
all
opposed
to
the
plan,
and
the
government
abandoned
the
closure
programme
at
the
end
of
October
2023.

RMT
general
secretary
Mick
Lynch
said:
‘Our
findings
show
a
shocking
picture
of
Southeastern’s
failure
to
open
ticket
offices
as
advertised
which
is
a
clear
breach
of
their
obligations.

‘Passengers,
particularly
those
who
are
elderly,
disabled,
or
less
able
to
navigate
unstaffed
stations,
are
being
left
without
the
support
they
need
and
will
potentially
be
put
off
from
using
the
railway
altogether.

’Rail
operators
once
again
are
trying
to
undermine
essential
services
and
erode
public
trust
in
our
railways.

’The
government
must
step
in
now
to
protect
ticket
offices
and
ensure
Southeastern
is
held
to
account.’

The
Southeastern
contract
had
been
owned
by
Govia,
but
it
was
renationalised
in
October
2021
after
financial
irregularities
were
revealed.

Railnews
has
invited
Southeastern
to
comment.

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you
have
a
comment
on
this
story?
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