Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the c2c contactless ticketing trial on (a) the number and (b) opening hours of ticket offices.

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 all passengers. This includes ensuring that passengers can easily buy the right ticket for the journey they want to make, with consideration of the product range available at the station and what support is available to help with purchase.

Contactless payment is an additional way for passengers to pay for their travel. The Government has announced that an additional 53 stations across the south east will have contactless ticketing by the end of the year, including 15 c2c stations.