One in nine tickets are still sold at physical ticket offices, as elderly or disabled members of the Hastings and Rye constituency may otherwise have difficulty with digital alternatives. For example, research by the RNIB has found that only 3% of people with sight loss said they could use a ticket vending machine without problems and 58% said it was impossible.
Helena has been campaigning to save the local station ticket offices with a petition, with the public consultation on the proposed closures extended until a deadline of 31st August.
Without physical ticket offices, not only will jobs be lost, but it further complicates a system that already faces inaccessibility complaints. Passengers in Hastings and Rye will be disadvantaged as a result of these closures, with a lack of staff available to help with concerns on the platform.
Labour’s shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, has pushed against “rushed” plans to close hundreds of railway station ticket offices across England, warning it could worsen the “managed decline of our rail network”. Labour has pledged to start bringing the railways back into public ownership as franchises expire, aiming to protect those reliant on the railways first and foremost.
See Helena's petition here:
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