A damning letter slamming the Government’s “regressive” proposals to close rail offices across the country has been signed by the Mayor of Salford and local MP’s.
The open letter, which was posted on Twitter yesterday (Thursday 31 August), was addressed to Northern Trains Limited and detailed the local impact of the proposed closure of rail offices including jobs, vulnerable people, and the “Bee Network” across Greater Manchester.
Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett, MP Barbara Keeley, MP Rebecca Long-Bailey, and MP Graham Stringer, all signed the letter, which supported objections already highlighted in another open letter Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham.
The letter explained how, out of the five Salford stations who house a working ticket office, only Salford Crescent would remain open, loosing almost 210 operational hours per week across offices at Eccles, Salford Central, Swinton, and Walkden stations.
It read: “The change is particularly concerning for Salford Central Station, which is a key interchange and critical station, serving the central business district of the city-region and part of the City of Salford that has seen significant regeneration and employment growth over recent times and as such the requirement for passenger assistance is inevitably higher.”
The letter addressed how the closures work as a “callous attack on the most vulnerable in society” including the blind, disabled groups, pensioners, and people travelling alone at “unsociable hours”, citing charities such as Henshaws and Blind Dogs for The Blind Association. It also raised fears for increases in crime and anti social-behaviour.
It went on to discuss how the closure of offices would also be “a major regressive step… for the commitment to equalities, inclusion & accessibility”, which directly contradicts the six key principles of the new Bee Network transport system being rolled out across the region, of affordability, accessibility, reliability, accountability, sustainability, and safety.
Solidarity with @RMTunion’s march & rally today in London re: gov.’s & rail industry’s shocking proposals for ticket office closures or reduced opening hours✊🏻
Joint submission @RLong_Bailey, @KeeleyMP, Graham Stringer MP & I have sent to consultation today👇🏻#SaveTicketOffices pic.twitter.com/zVBhOkKLLx
— SalfordMayor (@salford_mayor) August 31, 2023
The letter concluded: “We ask that the proposals are urgently reconsidered in light of the catastrophic impacts they are likely to have and that the government and Rail industry works with passengers and other stakeholders to improve facilities at station (many of which have suffered from considerable levels of historic under-investment) and fully support all passengers who current use and would like to use the City of Salford’s and Greater Manchester’s railways and associated services by maintaining a staffed presence to at least current levels at our stations and ticketing offices.”
In a Tweet, Mayor Paul Dennett wrote: “Solidarity with @RMTunion’s march & rally today in London re: gov.’s & rail industry’s shocking proposals for ticket office closures or reduced opening hours. Joint submission @RLong_Bailey, @KeeleyMP, Graham Stringer MP & I have sent to consultation today.”
A response to the letter is yet to be published.
One Comment