What's happening?
Train companies have plans to close the majority of ticket offices in England. Please feedback on their plans.
At Guide Dogs, we’re concerned about these plans because ticket offices are a clear and consistent source of information and help, especially for travellers with sight loss. Crucially, many ticket vending machines are simply inaccessible for people with sight loss, and it is often not possible to buy a full range of tickets or apply some discounts via ticketing machines.
These changes are being proposed by train companies that primarily operate in England, however these changes will impact passengers from Scotland and Wales that travel to or via England. Additionally, Avanti is proposing to close its ticket office at Glasgow Central.
How you can get involved
The proposal for each train station is being consulted on individually and you need to provide feedback by one of two passenger watchdogs; Transport Focus for stations in England outside of London, and London TravelWatch for stations in London. The closing date for responses is 1 September 2023.
Transport Focus
London TravelWatch
Please note that these links take you to the Transport Focus and London TravelWatch websites. You then select your train operator and links to the plans for their stations and the email address for your feedback will be provided.
These organisations will review comments received before responding to train operators and your comments will inform their response.
There are a number of ways to respond to the consultation, including freepost and via phone.
We are concerned that the process is not fully accessible for people using screen readers and have raised this directly with the Department for Transport.
Top tips for responding
1. Try and check the rail operators’ proposals on their website first. Transport Focus and London TravelWatch include links. If you’re not sure, you can call them
2. Give feedback on every station that you use regularly, including your outbound and inbound station.
3. Share your personal experiences of using ticket offices and ticket machines, which one is more accessible to you?
4. Would the removal of a ticket office have an impact on your confidence to use trains and travel independently? Would this affect how and where you travelled?
5. Where there are plans to reduce or remove staff at stations, how would losing a designated ticket office impact your safety and security when travelling?
Thank you for taking the time to have your voice heard. Sharing your experiences is so powerful in showing the train operators the impact that the proposed ticket office closures could have on everyday life.
End.
