leaflet with the message "Save our Ticket Offices, keep ticket offices open" with National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers (RMT) slogan " Save our Railway Ticket Offices, Advice, Safety, accessibility, RMT"

In July 2023 the railway industry launched a 21-day passenger consultation which proposed the closure of the majority England’s station ticket offices. The Rail Delivery Group stated that ‘the proposals would help bring station retailing up to date from the mid-90’s, when the rules on how to sell tickets were set before the invention of the smartphone. Back then, 82% of all tickets were sold at ticket offices, compared with about 12% on average today’. Passenger Watchdogs Transport Focus and London Travelwatch objected to the proposals. There were concerns about the impact on accessibility, safety and security with objections raised by disability groups and Railway Unions. The consultation was extended to 1 September 2023 and eventually received 750, 000 responses from individuals and organisations, by November 2023 plans to close ticket offices were scrapped.