GWR Ticket Office Closures

As you may know, I strongly supported the campaign to stop ticket office closures just two years ago. It is hard to believe operators would resurrect this idea again, and so soon. So, I share apprehension about these changes and agree that they risk undermining passenger safety, service quality, and accessibility—particularly for those who are not digitally enabled, disabled passengers, and others who rely on station staff for assistance.

My Liberal Democrat parliamentary colleagues and I have consistently opposed measures which erode confidence in public transport services, including the proposal to close ticket offices in 2023. We will continue to press for more integrated, less complex ticketing and fare services, to ensure users are always paying fair and affordable prices. This should include a freeze on rail fares, which have risen out of control.

Passengers deserve better than paying more for deteriorating services. The Liberal Democrats are calling on the government to act without delay by establishing a new Railway Agency—a public body to unify the industry, prioritise commuters, and enforce accountability. An Agency with the authority to reform the broken fare system and hold operators to account, including the power to sanction or dismiss those who fail to deliver.

It is disappointing the government has delayed action, with no plans for such an agency until 2026 at the earliest. Their failure to introduce an effective passenger watchdog only compounds the issue, leaving commuters to endure poor and worsening standards.

The Transport Select Committee has highlighted the critical role of ticket offices and station staff to ensure equitable access and to provide crucial assistance to passengers who have difficulty navigating the rail network. It is unacceptable that GWR, under a government-managed National Rail Contract, is choosing to prioritise shareholder dividends over passenger needs.

I will write to Government Minister Lord Hendy urging him to instruct GWR to abandon these proposals and maintain staffing and service levels, operating hours, and ticket office provision. I have also signed Early Day Motion 1001 to amplify these concerns in Parliament.