Commons Speaker challenges transport minister over ticket office closures

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has challenged a transport minister over the planned ticket office closures, insisting he is not being told the truth by train operators. Sir Lindsay questioned Huw Merriman after he said ‘no currently staffed station will become unstaffed’ as a result of the proposals, as he noted the railway station in his constituency, Chorley , will effectively become unstaffed after 4pm. His comments came during Transport questions in the Commons, during which several MPs raised concerns over the Government’s plans for the mass closure of England’s ticket offices and the impact they could have on the elderly and disabled. Mr Merriman sought to reassure them, saying: ‘I passionately believe the best help anyone can give in a rail station is when they have personal interaction and that is very difficult when somebody is behind a glass screen – they are not able to then exit that point and then go and help.’ He added: ‘I give the commitment again from the train operators that no currently staffed station will become unstaffed as a result of these changes.’ Interrupting the proceedings, Sir Lindsay told Mr Merriman: ‘Can I just gently say Chorley matters to me as well but the ticket office is open all day. ‘The proposal is only to have someone available nine until four, which is half the time the ticket office was. ‘So please take up the people with disabilities quite rightly, but don’t forget what you are being told isn’t the case.’ Conservative MP Gagan Mohindra (South West Hertfordshire) earlier asked the minister: ‘One of my constituents who works at a local station reached out to me last week with concerns about the department plans. In the email my constituent said, ‘By closing the ticket office you have taken away a focal point of contact. ”How is someone in need going to find me on a station that is as big and spread out as ours?’ ‘Can the minister reassure us both that those that need assistance will be able to easily locate staff?’ Mr Merriman replied: ‘We know that 90% of transactions are completed outside of the ticket office and this shift tends to increase in the stations which operate pay as you go. ‘He asked about ensuring that staff at the ticket barriers are easily identifiable; I believe that is the case and we’ll certainly make sure that as these reforms are rolled out by the train operators that that continues to be the case.’ Labour has written to the Government, calling on ministers to address concerns about closures and the impact on accessibility and job security. Even former Pointless presenter Richard Osman has voiced his concerns and it is little wonder because this consultation is completely pointless Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh It said the Government must answer questions about the length of the 21-day consultation period and the rollout of new ticket machine technology. In the Commons, shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said: ‘The minister has managed to unite concerns from Labour MPs, his own backbenches, you, Mr Speaker, disability groups, trade unions and consumer groups about these closures. ‘Even former Pointless presenter Richard Osman has voiced his concerns and it is little wonder because this consultation is completely pointless. ‘Just 21 days for people to voice their concerns. No equality impact assessment and no answers on job security, on accessibility, on digital ticketing. ‘So will the minister think again, acknowledge this consultation is a sham, pause it, and go back to the drawing board?’ Mr Merriman said the consultation is ‘a robust process’, adding: ‘I fundamentally believe that rather than the railway being stuck in the past, the railway needs to adapt and change in the manner that its passengers are doing so. ‘If one in 10 passengers are operating the booking office purchase system, then that means that 90% of passengers are not potentially seeing a member of staff. ‘That member of staff can look after them, give them information, make them feel more reassured and assist them into the train – and that is a modern railway in action.’