Nearly every railway ticket office to shut in England as new plans revealed

A large portion of railway station ticket offices in England will close following an industry announcement.

Industry body the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) unveiled proposals which could result in nearly all offices being shut while only those at the busiest stations will remain open. It's part of a move to "modernise customer service" while the industry faces increased pressure from the government to save money following dips in revenue caused by the Covid pandemic.

It is understood train companies across England will begin passenger consultations in relation to the ticket office closures. Meanwhile, trade unions and disability groups have expressed outrage over the move, fearing it could lead to job losses and could neglect some vulnerable passengers.

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Transport Salaried Staffs Association interim general secretary Peter Pendle said: “We are clear the Government will face strong opposition from this union on the totally unnecessary mass closure of ticket offices. Ministers will soon realise that the public have no desire to see their rail network diminished in this way.”

The RDG noted that 12 per cent of train tickets are bought form offices at stations, a dramatic decrease from 82 per cent in 1995. Vivienne Francis, chief social change officer at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), said: “A mass closure of rail ticket offices would have a hugely detrimental impact on blind and partially sighted people’s ability to buy tickets, arrange assistance and, critically, travel independently.

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“RNIB research shows that only 3% of people