6 July 2023
With railway station ticket offices – and jobs – across St Helens borough under threat, St Helens Green Party is urging rail users to join the fight to save services.
Operator Northern is proposing to close ticket offices at Earlestown, Eccleston Park, Garswood, Lea Green, Newton-le-Willows, Rainhill, St Helens Junction and Thatto Heath, leaving only St Helens Central staffed on reduced hours. Newton is the borough’s busiest station, while a new ticket office at Lea Green is currently under construction.
Allen Makin, Green Councillor for Bold & Lea Green and member of the regional transport committee, says: “I am vehemently opposed to the move by the government and the rail operators to close hundreds of ticket offices across the country. Not only is this an attack on jobs, these closures will also make life more difficult for people who need to pay for tickets with cash, more difficult for people with restricted mobility and more difficult for parents travelling with children. Charities representing disabled people, particularly those who are blind or partially-sighted, have pointed out that many of the people they represent have difficulty with ticket machines.
“As ever, it’s operators first, passengers last – the whole sorry system overseen by a government that ought to be focusing on getting services running on time, dealing with overcrowding and making travelling by rail more convenient and affordable. At a time when we should be encouraging more people to leave the car at home and use public transport, it makes little sense to make travelling by train less convenient. I urge anybody who cares about public transport and the people who use the network to have their say.”
Local residents can have their say now at northernrailway.co.uk/consultation-2023 . The closing date for comments is 28 July.
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