The Government has officially announced the withdrawal of proposed ticket office closures after a comprehensive industry-wide consultation. These proposals did not meet the high standards set by Ministers and thus were not approved.
Throughout the consultation process, the government emphasised the importance of any resulting proposals meeting a high threshold of serving passengers. Extensive engagement with accessibility groups, careful consideration of passenger feedback, and collaboration with parliamentary colleagues were key elements of the decision-making process.
The government remains committed to railway reform and is pursuing various initiatives to improve services for passengers. These include the expansion of contactless Pay As You Go ticketing, enhanced station accessibility through the Access for All program, and a £350 million investment in the Network North plan to enhance accessibility at up to 100 stations.
Greater Anglia and GTR (Govia Thameslink Railway) have also released statements on the withdrawal of their ticket office proposals:
Greater Anglia's Statement:
Greater Anglia, like many other train operators, proposed changes aimed at improving customer service at stations. However, following objections from Transport Focus and London TravelWatch, these changes, along with those of all other train operators, will be withdrawn. The company expresses gratitude to all those who participated in the consultation process and reaffirms its commitment to enhancing the customer experience for rail travellers.
GTR's Statement:
GTR acknowledges the valuable feedback received from the local public consultation and expresses gratitude to all participants. While there is support for the principle of redeploying staff from ticket offices to improve the overall customer experience, outstanding feedback related to the railway as a whole has not been completely addressed. As a result, all proposals under the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement have been withdrawn.
I commend my constituents for actively participating in the consultation and making your views known. I pledge to continue closely monitoring this issue and thank everyone for taking the time to share your thoughts.
