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Written question asked by Lord McCabe (Labour) on Tuesday, 11 July 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 18 July 2023 (named day). It was answered by Huw Merriman (Conservative) on Tuesday, 18 July 2023 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Railways: Ticket Offices

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of train ticket office closures on elderly passengers.

Answer

When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours, including closures, operators are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of all passengers; and to include this in the notice of the proposal sent to other operators and passenger groups. We would also expect operators to consider other equality related needs and make this clear in the notice sent to other operators and passenger groups.

Together with the industry, we want to improve and modernise the passenger experience by moving staff out from ticket offices to provide more help and advice in customer focused roles. No currently staffed station will be unstaffed as a result of industry changes, and train operators will ensure staff are well located to meet passenger needs in future.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
193292
Session
2022-23
Subjects
Closures Older people Railways Ticket offices
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk