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 closing train station ticket offices in Enfield North constituency on the (a) safety and (b) accessibility of passenger rail travel in (i) Enfield North constituency, (ii) the London Borough of Enfield and (iii) London.

The UK’s rail network is one of the safest in Europe and we will never compromise the safety of passengers on our railways. As the industry takes forward vital reforms, safety remains a top priority for all.

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; 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 the notice sent to other operators and passenger groups.

Together with industry, we want to improve and modernise the passenger experience by moving staff out from ticket offices to provide more help and advice in customer focused roles. Following the consultations, the independent passenger bodies will play a vital role in assessing and shaping proposals.