Blind Pride Of Britain hero slams decision to axe rail ticket offices across UK

05 October 2023 , 16:20

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Jill Allen-King blasted the decision to close ticket offices (Image: STEVE FINN PHOTOGRAPHY 2023)

A blind Pride of Britain winner has slammed plans for the mass closure of rail ticket offices after being left stranded and “petrified” at a station.

Jill Allen-King, 83, a lifetime campaigner for the National Federation of the Blind, was travelling from Essex to their conference in Windermere when one of her trains was 40 minutes late. She had booked assistance to help her get a connecting service at Oxenholme but there was no-one there when she arrived.

Jill, said: “I was just left stood there. I was absolutely petrified, I was so frightened. Normally there would be other passengers around but I couldn’t hear anything at all. I just stood there and screamed for help. Eventually a member of staff came to see me. I was in a dreadful state.”

The Pride of Britain lifetime achievement award went to Jill Allen-King in 2022 (Daily Mirror/Andy Stenning)

The journey was the first since her guide dog Jagger was retired, at the age of 11. Jill, an OBE, who received a Lifetime Achievement Pride of Britain gong last year, said: “Even if he had been working, you are told not to move on a platform because it could be dangerous and to get sighted help. It was the worst journey of my life,” says Jill who has travelled all over the UK on the rail networks.

The experience last Friday has left her scared for the future if the proposed closure of 974 ticket offices come into effect. Her local station at Chalkwell, Essex, is earmarked to shut. Operator C2C is proposing to have “floor walker” staff to help passengers.

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But she says: “That will be absolutely no help as we will not know where they are.” Jill, who lost one eye as a baby and the sight in the other from glaucoma at the age of 24, says many people like her cannot book tickets online for various reasons.

While ticket office opening hours are currently protected, unions fears closures will pave the wave for many more unmanned stations in time. The Mirror is campaigning to save ticket offices and the national consultation prompted 680,000 responses.

Transport Focus and London Travelwatch watchdogs are due to give their decision on October 31.

Graham Hiscott