By Isle of Wight Observer
Plans to close the Island’s two remaining rail ticket offices, in Shanklin and Ryde, as part of plans to close more than 900 nationally, have been scrapped after a public outcry.
The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents the train operating companies, wanted the wholesale closures because they account for just 12 per cent of ticket sales. Managing Director of South Western Railway, Clair Mann, said in July that the proposal built on existing trends of passengers booking journeys using modern technology.
However, 750,000 people responded to the public consultation, more than 99 per cent of them against the plans, and this week the government backtracked on supporting them.
In September, Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said closing ticket offices was “the right thing for the British public and British taxpayers”, but on Tuesday, Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, confirmed they would not go ahead.
However, the pressures that led to the proposal – the financial crisis triggered by the Covid pandemic, workforce disputes, and the need to reduce the substantial subsidies paid by government to the train operators – still persist.
Demonstrating that changes are still likely, Jacqueline Starr, chief executive of the RDG, said this week: “These proposals were about adapting the railway to the changing needs of customers in the smartphone era, balanced against the significant financial challenge faced by the industry as it recovers from the pandemic.
“While these plans won’t now be taken forward, we will continue to look at other ways to improve passenger experience while delivering value for the taxpayer.”
Isle of Wight Observer