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‘Absolutely fantastic’ – reaction to Cleethorpes, Grimsby and Scunthorpe train ticket offices reprieve

Disabled groups, politicians and the RMT have welcomed the announcement that plans to close train ticket offices have been scrapped.

Cleethorpes, Grimsby and Scunthorpe ticket offices, all run by TransPennine Express (TPE) were proposed for closure in a public consultation held over the summer. Staffing hours were also to be cut significantly at Grimsby Town and Scunthorpe stations.

The government has said it will not support the proposals.

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Scunthorpe

Scunthorpe‘s ticket office closure was opposed by North Lincolnshire Council and Scunthorpe’s MP Holly Mumby-Croft. Council leader Cllr Rob Waltham, also Conservative, welcomed the decision.

“It is predominantly older people or disabled people who need access to ticket offices. Rail companies were looking at the numbers and not the people behind those numbers – but the government has listened to residents and stepped in to stop these plans.

“Holly Mumby-Croft MP and Andrew Percy MP have been working hard in Westminster sharing the concerns of residents – that has had a big impact,” he said.

Ms Mumby-Croft said it was “absolutely fantastic” the Scunthorpe ticket office closure will not happen. The train station is “essential to so many residents” and it is “so important that it remains accessible to everyone who needs it”.

“The government has recognised that the proposals did not meet the high standards that are rightfully expected by passengers at our train stations, which is something that I made clear when I held an adjournment debate on the closures in the Commons Chamber earlier this year.



Holly Mumby-Croft, pictured centre next to Cllr Tim Mitchell, outside Scunthorpe train station after a council and TPE project in June to create an urban garden area
Holly Mumby-Croft, pictured centre next to Cllr Tim Mitchell, outside Scunthorpe train station after a council and TPE project in June to create an urban garden area

“Those who submitted their objections to my survey and the consultation played a vital role in saving our ticket offices, and I am so grateful that people took the time to share their views and fight for the best interests of Scunthorpe.”

“It’s great to see all of our hard work locally pay off,” she said, calling it a “victory, not just for Scunthorpe, but for train stations and passengers across the UK”.

Cleethorpes and Grimsby

North East Lincolnshire Council wrote a letter in opposition too. “I’m delighted that the ticket office closures have been scrapped,” said council leader Cllr Philip Jackson. It showed the government was “clearly listening”. “The council’s objection was just one of many but it’s great that Grimsby and Cleethorpes railway stations will retain their ticket offices and the services they offer.”

“They’ve listened to the people for a change,” said Labour Cllr Janet Goodwin. She used to use trains a lot a few years ago. “A woman on my own, you needed the ticket offices,” she said of station security, adding “standing in front of a machine doesn’t tell you anything” when seeking information.

“The level of opposition, especially from disability groups, has made a climbdown inevitable,” said Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers. He opposed its ticket office closure, speaking in parliament a number of times and “behind the scenes lobbied ministers”. Many passengers did buy tickets online, but rail companies “must meet the needs of all their customers”.



Cleethorpes Station, on a very cold morning
Cleethorpes Station, on a very cold morning

Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Grimsby, Melanie Onn, had opposed the proposed closures, with a petition on her website and linked up with ticket office staff too. “The whole suggestion that ticket offices were going to close was going to be at the detriment of vulnerable people,” she said. “That’s why I was so against them closing.”

She called it a “colossal waste of money and energy on the part of the government proposing unhelpful and unwelcome changes”. “It’s a good outcome but that’s come at the behest of a huge public outcry.”

Train operators, RMT and disabled groups

Penny Hefferan, lived experience officer at Guide Dogs, regularly travels by train with her guide dog Questa and said the announcement was a “huge relief for me and so many others who voiced their opposition to the plans”.

It was reassuring having a fixed point to seek out station staff. She added: “It means I can continue to live my life independently.”

Louise Rubin, head of policy at disability equality charity Scope, said: “These plans made no sense in the context of our inaccessible rail network, and would have resulted in more people being stranded without the support they need.” She said the government “must now create long-overdue changes so that every disabled person can use our transport system with confidence”.

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The RMT’s general secretary Mick Lynch said it was calling for an urgent summit with the government, passenger groups and train operators to “agree a different route for the rail network that guarantees the future of our ticket offices and stations staff jobs”. The Rail Delivery Group represent train operators and put forward the proposals for consultation.

A spokesperson said they were “about adapting the railway to the changing needs of customers in the smartphone era”. This was “balanced against the significant financial challenge” faced since the pandemic.

Use of ticket offices was “irreversibly declining”. It would look at other ways “to improve passenger experience while delivering value for the taxpayer. Our priority remains to secure a vibrant long-term future for the industry and all those who work in it.”

Original artice: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/all-about/scunthorpe

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