London TravelWatch has finished reviewing proposals to close ticket offices at 269 rail stations. These proposals were submitted by nine different train companies in July.

As part of the consultation process, we received more than 230,000 responses from individuals and organisations. 99% of these responses opposed closing the station ticket offices.

You can read our final recommendations around the individual proposals by clicking through to each of the nine train companies in the list below:

The final recommendation documents are compatible with screen-readers, include large print and plain text accessible versions along and an easy read summary of the report. We have also produced a report on the ticket office consultation process including our assessment criteria. A BSL summary of the report can be viewed in the video below.

 

What are the next steps in the consultation process?

If a train company disagrees with any of our recommendations, they can refer their proposals to the Secretary of State for a final decision.

The Department for Transport has published guidance which sets out the approach the Secretary of State will take if this happens.

Where can I find information about non-London stations?

For stations outside of the London TravelWatch area coverage, visit Transport Focus.

Michael Roberts, Chief Executive of London TravelWatch:

“The way many passengers buy tickets is changing and so we understand the need to adapt and change with the times. But the key question for us is whether there is evidence to show that these proposals to close ticket offices represent a genuine improvement for passengers.

“The three big issues for the public arising from the consultation were how to buy tickets in future, how to get travel advice and information at stations, and how Disabled passengers can get assistance when they need it.

“Despite improving on their original proposals, we don’t think the train companies have gone far enough. We cannot say with confidence that these proposals would improve things for passengers and that is why we have objected to all 269 ticket office closures.”

For a summary of the key findings, read our press release.