A public consultation to consider the plan was launched by Rail Delivery Group (RDG) on 5 July, and involves rail companies, including Great Western Railway, Thameslink and West Midlands Trains.
If successful, the proposed plan would see the closure of ticket offices over the next three years, although RDG says kiosks will remain at the busiest stations and staff will still be on hand to assist passengers, including those with accessibility needs.
However, the proposals are causing concern to some, including UK-wide brain injury charity Headway.
Sarah Russell, Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Headway, explained the charity’s fears that mass ticket office closures would have a disproportionately negative impact on disabled people, including brain injury survivors.
“The closure of ticket offices across England would have a detrimental impact on brain injury survivors, many of whom face challenges with memory and cognitive function,” said Sarah.
“These often-hidden effects of brain injury mean that having an interaction with a member of staff is the only suitable way survivors can purchase a ticket for travel. If the staff are not available to assist with the purchase of tickets, we fear many people living with brain injury may not feel confident about travelling.
“The RDG has stated that if people are unable to purchase a ticket before boarding the train, a member of staff will assist them on their journey. However, we have seen examples where survivors have attempted to do this in the past and have sadly been threatened with fines as conductors assumed they were attempting to travel for free.
“This problem is particularly acute for those with hidden disabilities like brain injury.
“It is vital that the RDG listens carefully to the concerns of Headway and other disability charities before rushing in with cost-saving measures that could have a detrimental impact on vulnerable passengers.”
The consultation is being facilitated by independent passenger watchdogs Transport Focus and London TravelWatch and will run for 21 days.
Passengers who want to participate in the consultation are encouraged to go to their local train company websites or to visit
www.transportfocus.org.uk or Londontravelwatch.org.uk.
Responses to the consultation must be received by Wednesday, July 26.
Headway would like to know what you think about these plans and whether you have used your Brain Injury Identity Card to seek assistance from station staff.
To share your experiences with Headway, please email media.office@headway.org.uk.
