Andy Burnham has criticised "wholly inadequate" ticket office closure plans and says he is considering legal action against operator Northern if the process is not suspended.
The Mayor wrote to the Transport Secretary today (Thursday 6 July) to set out serious concerns following yesterday's controversial announcement by train operating companies of plans to close manned ticket offices at 45 stations across Greater Manchester.
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In the letter to Mark Harper, he says that passengers and staff have been "taken aback by the scale of the proposed changes", and that it feels they are being "railroaded through" without proper consultation on the impact they would have on passengers, particularly disabled people and older people.
He argues if implemented the proposals would "further damage the confidence of passengers in our railways at precisely the time when we are all seeking to attract more people to use public transport and rebuild vital revenue" and said "a highly visible and reassuring staff presence has never been more important" in the North.
Burnham is calling on Northern Trains Limited to suspend their public consultation with immediate effect until they publish an Equalities Impact Assessment (EQIA) to help provide meaningful consultation responses, and is difficult to assess without seeing the outcome of an EQIA.
He has also argued 21 days is a "clearly insufficient" amount of time for people to judge the consultation given the far-reaching impact of the proposal.
The Mayor has said that if Northern is not prepared to agree to his request, he will have no option but to consider what legal action may be possible.
Ticket offices will close at the following Greater Manchester stations:
- Ashton-under-Lyne
- Atherton
- Bramhall
- Bredbury
- Brinnington
- Broadbottom
- Bromley Cross
- Burnage
- Cheadle Hulme
- Daisy Hill
- Davenport
- Deansgate
- Disley
- East Didsbury
- Eccles
- Farnworth
- Flixton
- Gatley
- Gorton
- Greenfield
- Guide Bridge
- Hag Fold
- Hale
- Hattersley
- Hazel Grove
- Heald Green
- Heaton Chapel
- Hindley
- Levenshulme
- Littleborough
- Lostock Parkway
- Marple
- Mauldeth Road
- Mossley
- Newton For Hyde
- Parbold
- Poynton
- Reddish North
- Romiley
- Rose Hill (Marple)
- Salford Central
- Swinton
- Urmston
- Walkden
- Wilmslow
