TSSA challenge Tory MPs to speak out against ticket office closures

TSSA has today written to Conservative MPs urging them to speak out against plans to close most railway ticket offices in England.

The letter was sent to Conservative MPs who participated in the Westminster Hall debate on Railway Ticket Offices on 13 September. The debate demonstrated that there is growing cross-party awareness that it is impractical and unsafe to go ahead with plans to close most ticket offices in England.

In the debate many Conservative MPs joined politicians from across the House in scrutinising the government’s plans.

Anthony Mangnall, Conservative MP for Totnes, explained that ‘we need people in our ticket offices so that we can ask for advice and guidance, how to get about, and how to navigate the system, which is so badly orchestrated for those buying tickets online’.

Other MPs raised concerns that their local ticket offices that would be affected. Matt Vickers, MP for Stockton South, noted that in his ‘brilliant little train station’ almost 25% of tickets sold are still brought at the ticket office – and that ‘those 25% of people are often the most vulnerable’.

Sir John Hayes, MP for South Holland and The Deepings, argued that the government’s plans would have the effect of ‘stripping life of human interactions and connections between people… and in doing so we are unpicking the threads that bind us together and make up the tapestry of civilised life’.  

Commenting, TSSA Interim General Secretary Peter Pendle said: “MPs will know from engaging with their constituents that the public are against these plans which will make our railways less accessible and less safe.

“It is good to see Conservative MPs waking up and realising that the government’s plans will have a detrimental impact on the most vulnerable people in our society.

“Every MP recognises the importance of their own local ticket office and feels that their station deserves to be saved. No one wants their own constituents to bear the brunt of these cuts which will affect the most vulnerable in society. We now need MPs to see sense and urge Sunak’s government to scrap these foolish proposals in their entirety.

“We need members of Parliament from across all parties come together to oppose these plans. We must now focus on using our railways to build up our communities, jobs and local economies.”

Full text of the letter

I am writing following your involvement in the Westminster Hall debate on Railway Ticket Offices on 13 September. Clearly, there is growing cross party awareness that it is impractical, inadvisable, and unsafe to go ahead with the plans to close most ticket offices in England.

You will know from engaging with your constituents that the public are against these plans which will make our railways less accessible and less safe. The strength of feeling is clear from the record-breaking number of people who responded to the consultation on ticket office closures. Our members have engaged with rail users up and down the country and the public are firmly against the planned closures.

As you will know ticket offices are essential to our communities, they make stations safer, make it easier to get the best deal on tickets, and help a whole range of passengers access the railway. 

Machines are confusing, break down, and are difficult to use if you have arthritis, sight difficulties, and other disabilities. It is harder to find the right ticket, especially the cheapest ticket at a machine, or online. Ticket office staff are there to help and have the expertise to do so. 

Across England, as many as 360 million journeys each year are a result of interaction with ticket office staff – a huge number. This underlines the fact that booking offices are essential both to the railways, and the communities they serve. 

As you will also know, our union represents ticket office staff up and down the country. Their jobs are under threat – with up to 2000 redundancies being planned.

Our hope is that members of Parliament from across all parties come together to oppose these plans. Instead, we should use the railways to build up our communities, jobs and local economies as we move away from the pandemic years.

I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss this matter further and share with you the views and expertise of our thousands of members. Please contact my office to arrange a meeting.

Yours Sincerely,

Peter Pendle

Interim General Secretary