A total of 680,000 responses to Government-led proposals to close hundreds of ticket offices in England has been received by watchdogs Transport Focus and London Travelwatch.
An initial three-week-long consultation which expired on 26 July was extended to run until 1 September. Modern Railways understands that around 100,000 responses were expected by 26 July: with almost 700,000 responses, the level of interest far exceeds any other public consultation which has taken place.
London TravelWatch says concerns were raised around accessibility, safety and security, issues with ticket machines and how stations will be staffed in the future. It and Transport Focus will respond to train operators by 31 October. If the watchdogs object to proposals, train operators can refer the proposals to Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper for a final decision.
London TravelWatch Chief Executive Michael Roberts described the response as ‘incredible’, adding: ‘We are particularly interested in how individual …
