Illustration by John Sadler www.johnsadlerillustration.com 

• ON July 5 the train operating companies in the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) finally announced long-rumoured proposals to shut up to 1,000 of the 1,700 station ticket offices, almost certainly at the Conservative government’s behest.

The RDG’s original claim that there was no plan to shut ticket offices en masse has proved a lie. Among the offices currently slated for closure are those at Euston and St Pancras International.

The office at Euston, the mainline station for Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow, would cease to operate along with the one serving passengers for Gatwick and Luton airports and major cities of the East Midlands and South Yorkshire.

With the Department for Transport having moved the goalposts last year, any office, regardless of sales volume, could face closure.

The main rail unions – ASLEF, the RMT and TSSA – are united in their opposition to this threat and not only because it is likely to cost nearly 2,300 jobs, according to one independent analysis of the impact company by company.

Closures would also have a massive impact on passengers. John Scott-Morgan wrote of the disproportionate effect on many older and disabled people that the loss of ticket offices would have, (Fight to stop ticket office closures and changes to travelcards, May 18).

Many rail travellers already have ample experience of unreliable ticket machines while others find them difficult, if not impossible, to use due to a disability. Booking on the internet is often not an option for those with limited broadband access or who lack IT skills.

In short, this is still another cost-cutting measure that can only accelerate the Tories’ systematic dismantling of a vital public service.

The RMT in particular has launched a campaign encouraging passengers, disability rights groups, women’s groups, and other trade unionists to actively fight to keep our ticket offices open.

Camden Trades Council is backing this campaign to save ticket offices and strongly urges your readers to visit the RMT’s website (https://www.rmt.org.uk/campaigns/rail/save-ticket-offices/) where they can find campaign materials including model responses to the consultation exercises.

The unfortunate reality is that time is of the essence: the consultation closes in less than a fortnight on Wednesday July 26 and each of train operators is conducting its own consultation.

Trades council delegates will also be supporting the RMT outside Euston station on its days of action against the threatened closures today, July 13, and next Tuesday July 18.

SARAH FRIDAY
Assistant Secretary
GEORGE BINETTE
Vice-Chair
UNA DOYLE
Chair
Camden Trades Council