Councillors condemn closure of Middlesbrough station ticket office

Closure of Middlesbrough station ticket office would most affect older passengers, those with disabilities and those whose first language is not English, said Mr Furness

The closure of Middlesbrough ticket office could have a "domino" effect, triggering wholesale changes across UK railway services, say councillors.

The station ticket office is one of many across England set to close under plans by government and 13 rail firms.

Councillors voted unanimously to oppose its closure, saying it provided a vital service to rail customers.

"You could have stations in the future with no staff, just machines," said Theo Furness, calling it "a big worry".

Mr Furness, executive member for regeneration, urged fellow councillors to formally oppose the closure of the only staffed ticket office in the town.

"Not all are able to use ticket vending machines or online ticketing platforms," he told a full council meeting earlier on Thursday.

"Many passengers require human assistance to successfully purchase the most appropriate and cheapest tickets.

"Ticket office staff have a wealth of knowledge which ensures that customers get appropriate advice and the cheapest fare for their whole journey."

He added that the closure could lead to staff being removed entirely from rail stations, causing further unemployment in the town, as well as deterring people from travelling by train.

"Without a ticket office there's no responsibility for the train station to have any personnel at all at any given time. It's within the whim of Transpennine Express or any train company just to cut all staff," he said.

"It's discriminatory and it's a big worry for me personally, for family members and our community."

'Fact-based' decision

The ticket office closure proposals have been put forward by train operators, who are under pressure from the Department for Transport (DfT) to cut costs.

However, disability campaign groups, unions and local residents and businesses have raised concerns.

Councillors voted unanimously in favour of Mr Furness's motion for the council's chief executive, Clive Heaphy, to write to Transport Secretary Mark Harper and TransPennine Express, who manage the station, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Cllr Mieka Smiles said she had often observed "particularly the elderly, struggling with using ticket machines".

But she added it was "important to have the facts" as to how many people use Middlesbrough station ticket office.

"What it might mean is, perhaps customers would be better served with staff being on the concourse and being free to ask questions. I'd hate just to stick to something for sticking to it's sake."

TransPennine Express has previously said only 8% of tickets to and from its stations were bought from ticket offices, as customers move to buying online and from self-service machines.

It said shutting ticket kiosks would allow staff to assist more passengers in "multi-skilled" customer service roles.

The DfT said the future of ticket offices is "a matter for the industry" but argued the rail industry needed reforms to become "fit for purpose".