Blackburn Council leader welcomes government ticket office closure announcement

The leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, Councillor Phil Riley, has welcomed news that the Government is asking train companies to withdraw proposals to close hundreds of ticket offices including ones in Preston, Accrington and Burnley.

In July, members agreed a motion outlining  its opposition to the proposals and instructing the Leader and Chief Executive to raise concerns with both the Secretary of State for Transport and local MPs.

Councillor Riley said: ‘’I welcome today’s announcement by the Transport Secretary, that following consultation including with accessibility groups, the proposals did not meet the high standards expected by ministers.

‘’This Council clearly set out its opposition to the proposals in July. The provision of ticket offices is vital for those not in a position to purchase tickets online or via machines, a group which includes some of the most vulnerable members of society, including the elderly, the disabled especially those with visual impairments and those with learning difficulties. Had these proposals gone ahead, it would have been inevitable that many passengers would have stopped using the trains, increasing social isolation.

‘’Encouraging and increasing the use of rail travel is also vital as part of efforts to tackle the climate emergency, a core mission of this Council.”

Today, the Department for Transport has asked train operators to withdraw their proposals to shut ticket offices across the country.

In July the government asked train companies to set out proposals on ticket office closures across the country.

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper said: “We have engaged with accessibility groups throughout this process and listened carefully to passengers as well as my colleagues in Parliament.

"The proposals that have resulted from this process do not meet the high thresholds set by Ministers, and so the Government has asked train operators to withdraw their proposals.

“We now expect train operators to withdraw these proposals. We do not expect any proposals to be referred to the Secretary of State for a decision.

“We are aiming to consult on a draft National Rail Accessibility Strategy next year.”