Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposed rail ticket office closures on the (a) safety and (b) accessibility of the rail network for disabled passengers.

When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours, including closures, operators are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of passengers who are disabled; and to include this in the notice of the proposal sent to other operators and passenger groups. We would also expect operators to consider other equality related needs and make this clear in their consultation.

We recognise that many passengers value the services provided by staff at ticket offices and the Department recently hosted roundtable discussions with industry and accessibility and transport groups to discuss this matter. We continue to engage with the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee to understand any concerns.

No currently staffed station will be unstaffed as a result of industry changes, and train operators will ensure staff are well located to meet passenger needs in future. This will include assisting those who need additional support and cannot or do not want to use digital tickets.