Pause ScotRail ticket office closures while you consult on women’s safety - Cortes

TSSA today (Monday) wrote to Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth urging her to halt plans to close ScotRail ticket offices until the conclusion of her consultation on women’s safety on the railways.

The consultation, announced by Gilruth in early February, is due to look at all aspects of women’s safety on the railway. TSSA argue that station staff make stations and platforms safer for women passengers and that planned closures should be paused until the consultation can establish their likely impact.

TSSA General Secretary, Manuel Cortes, said, “We welcome Transport Minister Gilruth’s determination to explore all aspects of safety for women passengers. She is right to include all aspects of rail travel. But it makes no sense to close ticket offices whilst consulting over ways to make women safer on the railway.

“ScotRail will go into public ownership in just six weeks. I’m glad to see Gilruth is keen to work with and listen to the railway unions as she takes over ScotRail. We are keen to work with her. But engagement with trade unions is marked by acting on our advice, not simply listening to us.

“That means listening to our advice on women’s safety and putting the ticket office cuts on hold.”

Cortes' letter is below