Bradford Council welcomes scrapping of planned ticket office closures

Article dated Tuesday Oct 31, 2023 at 04:18 PM

The Leader of Bradford Council, Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe; and the Executive member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, have welcomed the Government announcement today (31 October) that plans to close rail ticket offices will not proceed.

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, made the announcement asking train operators to withdraw their proposals because they failed to meet high passenger standards.

The plans would have seen almost 85% of West Yorkshire’s ticket offices closing, only 3 of the 69 stations in West Yorkshire retaining ticket offices. The ticket offices serving the Bradford District which would have closed were: Bingley, Bradford Forster Square, Ilkley, Keighley, Menston and Shipley.

Leaders across the region had voiced concerns in the summer about the plans and the limited consideration that had been given to the impacts they would have on the public, particularly people with disabilities or who need extra customer support and lack digital access.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, The leader of Bradford Council and Chair of West Yorkshire Transport Committee, said: “We welcome today’s announcement that the plans to close ticket offices across our district and the wider region will not now go ahead.

“Leaders and rail user groups across the region had voiced their concerns about the plans which would have had significant impacts on those passengers who use ticket offices and the staff who work there. It really is good news for both passengers and staff that the planned closures will not now go ahead.”

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Executive member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “This is very welcome news for rail users in our region. The impact of these proposals, particularly on those who may need additional support at the station and to buy tickets, was not properly thought through. We’re glad the Government has listened and taken the right course of action to scrap these plans. We want our railways to be as safe and inclusive as possible so more people use them.”

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