'We need to fight for a different future for our railways': Andy Burnham on why he is taking legal action to keep train ticket offices open
manchestereveningnews.co.ukToday the fight to save our ticket offices hits full speed. Together with five other Labour Mayors, I am preparing to launch a legal action against the train operators' plans to close around 1,000 offices across England.
For the good of the country, it’s a campaign we must win. If the Government and the rail industry get their way, it will erode what remains of public trust in travelling by train – and hasten Britain towards a faceless, soulless society. Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features. Rail bosses justify their plans by saying that, these days, 88 per cent of tickets are sold online.
There are two problems with that. First, it suggests the people who buy the other 12 per cent of tickets don't matter. From our surveys, we know disabled people are less likely to be online than others.
We also know ticket machines at many stations are physically inaccessible to them. It is clear to me that, if these plans proceed, disabled people will find it harder to travel by train than it already is.
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