The deadline of a public consultation on plans to close nearly all railway station ticket offices in England has been extended until September, the Rail Delivery Group has confirmed.
Train operators unveiled proposals earlier this month for mass closures of station ticket offices after Transport Secretary Mark Harper urged them to cut costs.
A three-week consultation on the plans was announced on July 5 by the Rail Delivery Group, which said staff would move out of ticket offices, adopting new “customer help” roles already in place on many parts of the rail network.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Jacqueline Starr, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, said: “Train companies have listened to feedback and are extending the time available to respond to the consultation on changes to how tickets are sold at stations to 1st of September.
“Operators are keen to give more people a chance to give their views on the proposals, so they can bring the railway up to date with dramatic shifts in customer buying habits while supporting all its customers as the railway evolves and adapts.
“While local plans vary, the aim of the proposals is to bring staff out from behind ticket office windows to offer more help for customers buying tickets and navigating stations.
“At the same time, ticket vending machines are being upgraded to offer a wider range of fares and we have committed that no customer will have to go out of their way to buy a ticket.”
The RDG has said the proposals would mean more face-to-face support was available across the network to choose the cheapest tickets and advise on journey planning, as well as support those with accessibility needs.
The plans have drawn fierce criticism from groups representing passengers and the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT).
Responding to the announcement, Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) joint interim general secretary Peter Pendle said: “Three weeks was never long enough for a meaningful consultation and I’m glad to see the Government backing down on that.
“TSSA has been clear from the start that ticket office staff are essential for safe and secure travel for vulnerable passengers, especially women, and for an inclusive and welcoming railway for passengers with disabilities.
“The unreasonably short three-week consultation period looked like a cynical attempt to silence the voices of the most vulnerable rail users in order to rush through savage cuts to our members’ jobs.
“Whilst the extension to the consultation is welcome, what rail users really need is for this cynical and unnecessary plan to cut ticket office staff to be shelved completely.”
In a statement, the RMT described the five-week extension as wholly inadequate and called for “the whole disastrous closure programme to be abandoned”.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Although our pressure has forced their hand, it is still a deeply flawed and a wholly inadequate consultation process which we are considering challenging legally in the courts.
“Our campaign to save ticket offices, protect our members’ jobs and look out for the best interests of all rail passengers will only intensify in the coming weeks.
“20,000 rail workers will walk out on July 29 in pursuit of a negotiated settlement on job security pay, conditions and saving ticket offices.”
In a tweet, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham – one of five Labour metro mayors preparing to take legal action in a bid to halt the “rushed” mass closure plan – said of the extended deadline: “This shows we were right to challenge this flawed process.
“But it’s not good enough. The law requires a 12-week consultation. We will continue to pursue our legal action.”
Watchdogs Transport Focus and London TravelWatch have received more than 170,000 comments since the consultation was launched three weeks ago.
Tom Marsland, policy manager at disability equality charity Scope, said: “These botched plans will make rail travel impossible or much harder for many disabled people.
“Extending the consultation doesn’t solve that. The Government and rail industry need to go back to the drawing board.
“The Government must listen to disabled people and halt these plans in their tracks.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “While this is a matter for the industry, it is right that train operators have listened to feedback and extended their consultations, following continued engagement with stakeholders, including accessibility groups.
“Following the consultations, independent passenger bodies will continue to play a vital role in assessing and shaping proposals.”
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) welcomed the extended deadline, and said it had raised concerns with the Department for Transport earlier this week about the potential adverse effects the closures could have on disabled and older individuals.
The watchdog said it had reminded the department of its obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty of the Equality Act, which requires public sector organisations to carefully consider equality when when designing or changing services.
EHRC chairwoman, Kishwer Falkner, said: “The needs of older and disabled passengers must be properly considered and addressed in any proposed rail ticket office closures.
“We welcome the decision to extend this consultation to ensure all those who need to can respond properly and express any concerns.”
