Jeff Smith has responded to the consultation on proposals to close over 1,000 ticket offices across the UK. As part of these proposals, local train stations East Didsbury, Mauldeth Road and Burnage train station would face reduced opening hours at their ticket office.

Since responding, the consultation has now been extended until September. Read here to contribute to the consultation.

Response to Northern consultation

To whom it may concern,

I am contacting you regarding the proposed closure of almost 1,000 rail ticket offices in England – including three ticket offices in my own constituency – which will affect over 150 million passenger journeys a year. I also address this to Northern’s Managing Director, Mr Nick Donovan, and would be grateful if he could please provide a response to the questions I raise.

I want to express my serious concerns about the process and the proposals. Please consider the below my formal response to the public consultation.

My concerns include:

1. The Length of the Consultation Period

It is not acceptable that the consultation on such a consequential change to our rail networks has been limited to just 21 days.

Given the huge scale of public concern around this issue in my constituency, the fact that passengers and staff will have only three weeks to put forward their views is not good enough. My constituents want their views to be heard and properly considered

2. Impact on Manchester Withington constituents 

As the local MP for Manchester Withington I am very concerned by the specific impacts that will be felt in my constituency. The three ticket offices at East Didsbury, Mauldeth Road and Burnage stations, all much valued by my constituents, are all being closed.

East Didsbury’s staffed hours are being reduced from 6:30am-1pm weekdays, 7.30am-2pm Saturdays, to just 9:30-11:30am Monday to Saturday. 

Mauldeth Road’s staffed hours are being reduced from 7:10am-1:50pmweekdays, 7:30am-2pm Saturdays, to 9:30-11:30am weekdays and nothing on Saturdays. 

Burnage’s staffed hours are being reduced from 6:30am-1pm weekdays, 7:30am-2pm Saturdays, to 12-2pm Monday to Saturday.

All three stations have significantly reduced hours, by over two thirds, and, importantly, will no longer be covered by a member of staff at rush hour. I fail to see how this will result in anything other than a much poorer service for my constituents and other passengers, particularly those who are older or have disabilities

3. Impact on Accessibility

I also have serious concerns about the impact these proposals would have on the accessibility of the rail network. Nationally 1-in-8 tickets are sold via a ticket office. However, for Northern this is higher (1-in-6). Many of those using a ticket office do so because they prefer speaking to a helpful staff member – however, some also do so because they have no other choice.

My disabled and elderly constituents already face numerous barriers to use of our rail network and that appears set to worsen under these proposals.

23% of disabled adults and 6% of non-disabled adults are unable to use the internet. Wheelchair user discounts can only be purchased at ticket offices, and only 3% of blind people are able to use ticket vending machine without problems.

What guarantees will you offer elderly and disabled rail users in my constituency that they will not be disadvantaged by these proposals? And have you conducted a publicly available Equality Impact Assessment around these proposals?

4. Impact on Job Security 

I am also concerned about the job security of staff in stations in my constituency. 

What guarantees can you provide to rail workers in my constituency that their future job security will be protected following these consultations?

5. Slow Rollout of Digital Ticketing Technology 

I am concerned that you are not doing enough to ensure that easy-to-use digital alternatives are available in time for the closure of these offices.

How will passengers across the rail network be able to smoothly transition away from physical ticket offices when 83% of stations in England do not have contactless ticketing technology enabled?

Northern must urgently outline what will be done to accelerate the shift towards accessible, easy-to-use digital technologies across the local rail network.

6. Impact on wider Greater Manchester transport integration

Lastly, as a Manchester MP I am concerned about the impact these proposals will have on the wider Greater Manchester transport network. Greater Manchester is delivering the Bee Network, a modern, “London-style” integrated public transport network. By the end of the decade, the Bee Network will include local rail services, integrated with bus, Metrolink and cycling and walking and part of one multi-modal system including contactless, pay-as-you-go ticketing and a simple fares structure.

The Bee Network is underpinned by six principles: affordable, reliable, accessible, accountable, sustainable, safe. GM rail services and stations will need to meet these principles, and specified standards for quality, accessibility, customer service, security and safety, in order to be eligible for inclusion in the Bee Network.

Currently GM stations vary in quality against these measures, in particular on accessibility, where over 50% of stations are not fully accessible to all. Removing ticket offices at scale would be contrary to the Bee Network’s objectives.

For all the reasons outlined above, I would urge a rethink of the whole scheme. There are too many outstanding questions as to how these proposals can be implemented without serious consequences for the accessibility of our rail network and the job security of staff.

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Jeff Smith MP