Leaders across the north of England and beyond are rejoicing as the decision to close rail ticket offices has been reversed.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabbin, and Mayor of South Yorkshire Oliver Coppard expressed their delight in a press conference at the government U-turn.
The controversial proposals put forward by train operators would have closed almost 1,000 ticket offices across the country leading to around 2,000 job losses.
Addressing train staff, Burnham said: “I hope you will take heart from the huge show of support you have received from the British public.
“We see you, we value you.”
The victory is particularly sweet for Burnham, who earlier this year launched legal action with a group of mayors against train operating companies for a ‘potentially illegal’ period of public consultation about the proposals.
The decision to abolish the proposals has enraged train bosses, who argued that only 12% of passengers purchased tickets from station kiosks.
A spokesperson for Transport for the North acknowledged that the way many passengers buy their tickets is changing, but added: “[Office staff] are a human point of contact, including helping passengers who might need assistance or providing reassurance for those who might be wary of travelling alone.”
Burnham also praised the “persuasive,” voices of disability support groups who added their objections to the proposed changes.
Louise Rubin, Head of Policy at disability equality charity Scope, said: “This is a victory for the hundreds of thousands of disabled people who called out the absurdity of closing ticket offices.
“Government must now create long-overdue changes so that every disabled person can use our transport system with confidence.”
