Plans for mass closure of railway ticket places of work in England confirmed

Rail companies have introduced plans for the mass closure of England’s ticket places of work to “modernise” the railway, ramping up the battle with unions and infuriating incapacity and passenger teams.

The transfer, pushed by the federal government to avoid wasting prices, was confirmed by the trade physique, the Rail Supply Group. Prepare operators advised workers on Wednesday morning of proposals to close down virtually the entire 1,007 remaining places of work, bar on the busiest stations, inside three years.

The RDG mentioned ticket workplace workers would transfer on to station platforms and concourses in “new and fascinating roles”. Nevertheless, many worry job losses, with any ensures supplied over obligatory redundancies in pay talks set to run out on the finish of subsequent 12 months.

The RMT union referred to as it “a savage assault on railway employees, their households and the travelling public” and claimed operators had issued statutory redundancy notices affecting a whole bunch of workers.

Prepare operators mentioned there have been no redundancy notices, however it’s understood that part 188 letters – informing unions and workers that posts have been in danger, and a authorized requirement for attainable widespread redundancies – have been despatched.

The RMT basic secretary, Mick Lynch, mentioned: “It’s clear that the entire enterprise of closing ticket places of work has obtained nothing to do with modernisation and is a thinly veiled plan to intestine our railways of station workers.”

Among the many proposed closures are 131 out of 149 remaining Northern Rail ticket places of work; stations as massive as Darlington and Durham on LNER; and all these run by Avanti West Coast.

Workplaces might be axed and assist workers hours decreased throughout stations together with London Euston, Birmingham New Road and Manchester Piccadilly.

Labour has warned that “rushed” plans may worsen the “managed decline of our rail community”, whereas transport campaigners mentioned it might put extra susceptible folks off rail journey.

Nevertheless, the trade argues that solely 12% of tickets at the moment are purchased at places of work, down from 82% in 1995, with strikes persevering with to increase contactless funds and on-line shopping for.

England’s massive passenger prepare operators are straight contracted by the federal government and have been advised to search out financial savings to bridge the hole in income, with fare revenue nonetheless greater than 20% down because the coronavirus pandemic and the decline in commuting amid a swap to hybrid working patterns.

Prepare operators stay in dispute with unions however the authorities has pushed rail companies into transferring forward with controversial reform, with little headway in negotiations and extra strikes coming. The RMT and TSSA unions have mentioned they’ll “vigorously oppose” the proposals.