Mick Lynch warns Tories will pay price unless they ditch rail ticket office cull

06 August 2023 , 14:04

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The RMT's Mick Lynch urged passengers to have their say on plans to shut ticket offices (Image: PA)

Mick Lynch has warned the Tories will pay a “heavy political price” at the next election unless they drop plans to close almost all railway ticket offices.

Ministers are backing proposals drawn up by train companies to shut counters at 974 stations across England.

The general secretary of the RMT said the boarded up offices will be a permanent reminder of the Government's "vandalism" of the industry if closures go ahead.

Mr Lynch said the fact there have been more than 315,000 responses to a consultation on the changes reveals how strongly the travelling public feel about plans to "dehumanise" the rail network.

The Government and train operators say ticket office staff will be moved from behind screens onto platforms to help passengers, but unions believe thousands of jobs will be axed.

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Train companies have drawn up plans to close ticket offices at 974 railway stations across England (Maureen McLean/REX/Shutterstock)

The Mirror is leading efforts to stop the closures, which will particularly hit the elderly, vulnerable and disabled.

Passengers have got until September 1 to give feedback on the proposals.

Mr Lynch said: "That so many people have responded to the consultations shows that there is mass public opposition to the Government and train companies' proposals.

"These damaging plans are not just about ticket office closures, they are a smokescreen for a widespread dehumanising of our railways.

"Our railway stations are at the heart of communities around the country and if these closures go ahead the Tories will pay a heavy political price at the next election, with boarded up ticket offices and de-staffed stations being a permanent reminder of the Government's vandalism of our railways.

"We are urging the public to continue spreading the word about these cuts and to have their say in the consultations before September 1."

Peter Pendle, interim general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association, said "These are huge numbers showing the public is fully behind us and utterly determined to keep ticket offices open. We are calling now for further support to break the half million mark of respondents.

"The Government's cruel and unnecessary plans to close ticket offices across England are being voted down and ministers should scrap the whole idea right now.

"Until that happens we will continue to engage with local communities, making our case that closing ticket offices will be disastrous for rail users, that this will result in job losses for our members and will restrict accessibility for vulnerable passengers."

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