Save Stockport’s Train Ticket Offices
It was announced on 5th July that the Conservative government has asked all rail firms to close 1,007 rail ticket offices in Britain. This includes all three of the ticket offices in Stockport constituency – those at Stockport, Brinnington and Heaton Chapel train stations.
Avanti West Coast runs Stockport train station and have confirmed that the ticket office is earmarked for closure.
Northern Rail runs Brinnington and Heaton Chapel stations and have confirmed that both ticket offices are earmarked for closure.
Gaining the input of my constituents is extremely important to me and I am very grateful to everyone in Stockport constituency who has shared their experiences and spoken with me about this critical issue.
For this reason, I visited Heaton Chapel and Stockport stations on 7th July to hear directly from passengers and railway workers, and will be going to Heaton Chapel station to do the same again on Monday 24th July, as well as Brinnington station.
A large number of people expressed alarm about the prospect of the closures and the impact this will have on safety, accessibility, service provision and jobs in our community.
I share your concerns entirely. This disastrous policy will negatively affect a broad range of people: many elderly and disabled passengers, who are more likely to rely on ticket offices, the large number of railway workers, and everyone who utilises the support and advice provided by the staff in ticket offices.
A Northern sign in Heaton Chapel train station outlining proposed closure of the ticket office and reduced opening hours.
Simply put, the government is sacrificing passenger accessibility, safety and jobs in the name of cutting costs and defunding our railways. For years, the service provided by rail companies such as Avanti West Coast and Northern has been unacceptable, with last-minute cancellations and delays becoming the norm. The government is now forcing the public to accept even greater disruption.
I am committed to presenting the experiences and concerns of Stockport residents to the government. I urged the government to reconsider its position on the closures in the House of Commons on 6th July. You can find a clip of my speech here: https://www.facebook.com/NavenduForStockport/videos/1603908030099506.
I have also written to the Secretary of State for Transport to express my concerns and request answers to some key questions. Please find a link to my letter here: https://www.navendumishra.co.uk/2023/07/14/349/.
Despite the significance of the closures, the government is giving the public a mere 21 days to submit their views as part of a public consultation. It’s vital that as many people as possible participate.
To tell Avanti West Coast and Northern how you feel about the closures of ticket offices in Stockport constituency, and the impact that this will have in our community, please follow the links below. You have until Wednesday 26th July to submit your views.
Avanti West Coast: https://act.newmode.net/action/trades-union-congress/save-your-avanti-west-coast-ticket-offices
Northern: https://act.newmode.net/action/trades-union-congress/save-your-northern-ticket-offices
Avanti West Coast sign at Stockport train station stating that the ticket office is closed.
