Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking with train operating companies to ensure that planned ticket office closures do not disproportionally affect (a) disabled and (b) elderly passengers.

When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours, including closures, train operators were required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of all passengers including those who are disabled, vulnerable or have protected characteristics; and to include this in the notice of the proposal sent to other operators and passenger groups. When consulting, operators should have also clearly considered other equality-related needs.

Following the end of the consultation period the independent passenger bodies (Transport Focus and London TravelWatch) are engaging with train operators on the basis of the consultation responses they have received and the criteria they have set out. We expect train operators to work collaboratively with passenger bodies in the coming weeks, to listen to concerns raised, such as the impacts on vulnerable people, and to refine their proposals accordingly.