Mick Lynch, the general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT), will travel to Cornwall this week to take part in a demonstration to save ticket offices at railway stations in the Duchy and across the country.
Mr Lynch will speak at the rally outside Penzance railway station on Wednesday (August 9) at 9am.
The station has become the focus of protest against the bid to close ticket offices in Cornwall, which a local union rep believes would have a “catastrophic effect” on staff as well as elderly, disabled and vulnerable travellers.
Great Western Railway (GWR) is consulting on proposals to close ticket offices and move the staff into other areas of stations where GWR says they can help more customers, as transactions at its ticket offices drop below 15 per cent. Subject to public consultation, which has been extended to September 1, ticket offices in Cornwall could be phased out by the end of next year.
Offices are proposed to close between October this year and June 2024 at Bodmin Parkway, Camborne, Liskeard, Par, Redruth, St Austell and St Erth, with Penzance and Truro to follow between September and December 2024, although ticket sales will be reduced at windows at those stations from this October.
READ MORE: Angry protestors declare ticket office closure plan 'discriminatory'
A spokesperson for the RMT said: “The Government has instructed the train companies to begin closing all their ticket offices. RMT is opposed to the closures which we believe will restrict passengers’ access to the best value tickets, worsen passenger service, accessibility, safety and security and lead to de-staffing of stations.”
Penzance’s Conservative MP Derek Thomas has urged rail users in his constituency to take part in the consultation. He said: “I’m certain we have a case to keep a dedicated ticket office in Penzance, but we need to demonstrate the demand.”
Derek Thomas, Conservative MP for West Cornwall
The town’s former Liberal Democrat MP Andrew George added: “Plans to close most ticket offices were launched before GWR had even properly started an Equality Impact Assessment. Disabled and visually impaired passengers will be particularly affected if this goes ahead. It’s good news that Mick Lynch is coming to Penzance – a warm welcome from me.”
A spokesperson for GWR said: “Digital tickets have made it easier and faster for customers to buy and manage tickets online, which means fewer people than ever are using ticket offices. With 85 per cent of ticket sales taking place outside a ticket office on the GWR network, we think it makes sense to put our people where they can be most help to customers.
“This consultation is designed to allow the public to test and examine our proposals, and make sure our plans are compliant with the safeguards put in place at privatisation so that the needs of customers will still be met.”
Barry West, Cornwall’s regional organiser for the RMT, said last month: “This will have a catastrophic effect of not only staff losing our jobs, but every member of the public we help daily from elderly, disabled and vulnerable people to tourists who need our advice and guidance.”
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