Several MPs across East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire campaign against ticket office closures
Rail delivery group says it's being considered because of a decline in sales
Last updated 12th Jul 2023
A number of MPs from both main parties across East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire are campaigning to keep ticket offices at railway stations describing the proposals as "unfair on travellers."
Several offices are at risk of closure including those at Hull Paragon, Brough, Beverley, Bridlington, Driffield, Goole, Grimsby Cleethorpes and Scunthorpe.
A number of local MPs have expressed their concerns.
You can't have a conversation with a machine - it just doesn't work
They include Labour's Dame Diana Johnson and Karl Turner in Hull and in Northern Lincolnshire Conservatives Martin Vickers who represents Cleethorpes and Scunthorpe MP Holly Mumby Croft.
Diana Johnson said in Parliament the figures left her worried about the effect the closure plans would have on elderly, vulnerable and disabled passengers.
Karl Turner told us: "You can't go to a machine and have a conversation with a machine - it just doesn't work."
"If you've got someone who's a bit confused looking to book a ticket, they're not going to be able to get on that journey as a result of there not being human contact."
It's completely unacceptable
Scunthorpe's Holly Mumby Croft said: "The proposal to close the ticket office in Scunthorpe and severely cut the number of hours staff will be in the station is completely unacceptable, and I have made my views very clear to the consultation.
“The ticket office is not lying there unused. 31,836 tickets were sold last year, and a lot of residents still rely on its services to buy their train tickets.
Closing the ticket office and reducing staffing hours will have detrimental impact on the service that is provided in Scunthorpe.”
It will get staff into more customer facing roles
Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers said: “I’d like to keep the ticket office open as long as possible.”
“Personally, I’m somewhat old-fashioned and much prefer to go to a ticket office than mess around online.”
The Rail Delivery Group, which represent operators, says it's due to a decline in sales from ticket offices.
The Department for Transport says the industry-led consultations will get staff into more active, customer-facing roles, and no station with workers currently there will be unstaffed.