Train Ticket Office Closures

Closing train ticket offices could make independent travel impossible for blind people, according to Ann Kholer from Hull.

Ann is severely sight impaired. After first being registered blind in 2011, her vision has deteriorated: she now has just 2% central vision, making everything look very badly blurred.

This makes it hard for her to navigate around public spaces – including train stations.

She said: “Having a ticket office – that to me is everything. It makes me feel I can travel independently, I don’t need someone with me and I feel safe in the confidence that I will get where I want to be.”

They say only 12% of tickets are now bought from ticket offices, compared to 82% in the mid-90s, with more people buying tickets online. However, the plans have come under fire for their potential impact on those with accessibility issues, with the possibility that blind people such as Ann could end up lost in a train station.

Ann said: “It makes you feel useless. You get panic, you get frustration, and fear – I’ve felt them all when I’ve been in unfamiliar surroundings or I don’t feel there’s anyone there to help.

“I hope that they re-think and put themselves in my position. They ought to put a blindfold on and then someone should take them into a station and say ‘find your ticket, find your train!’.”

The public consultation on the proposals closes today (1 September). The Rail Delivery Group says the responses will help to shape their final decision.