Enfield North MP Feryal Clark launched a petition against the closures on her website, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

Feryal Clark MP (inset) is campaigning to save tickets offices at Enfield Lock and other stations

A local MP has slammed the planned closures of railway ticket offices in Enfield, warning the most vulnerable residents will be hit the hardest.

Enfield North MP Feryal Clark says the proposals risk “exacerbating the managed decline of the rail network” and is urging the government to think again.

Nine of the borough’s ticket offices have been earmarked for closure under plans to “modernise” the UK rail network. The Rail Delivery Group, an industry body, says just 12% of rail tickets were sold at ticket offices last year, and the changes would mean staff providing more “face-to-face support” in “customer help roles”.

But the plans have drawn widespread criticism from unions, MPs and passenger groups over the potential for job losses and warnings that vulnerable rail users could lose out. Feryal has launched a petition against the closures at Brimsdown, Enfield Lock and Gordon Hill stations, all in her constituency.

The Enfield North MP said: “The planned ticket office closures at Brimsdown, Enfield Lock and Gordon Hill will hit the most vulnerable members of our community, including elderly and disabled residents, the hardest.

“The closures will also be deeply worrying to the staff employed in Enfield North who help our community on a daily basis.

“Railroading this plan through without consideration for passengers only risks exacerbating the managed decline of the rail network.

“Please sign the petition and call on the government to halt these plans and come clean about the damage the closures will do.”

The petition warns that “basic questions” on how the closures will impact disabled and older passengers and the roll-out of technology in stations “have been left unanswered”.

Ticket offices at Enfield Chase, Grange Park, Winchmore Hill, Palmers Green, Hadley Wood and New Southgate have also been earmarked for closure under the plans.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “These industry-led consultations are about enhancing the role of station workers and getting staff out from behind ticket office screens and into more active, customer-facing roles that will allow them to better support all passengers. This is not about cutting jobs – no station which is currently staffed will be unstaffed as a result of these proposed reforms.

“We have been consistently honest about the need for our railways to modernise if they are going to survive. Reviewing the role of ticket offices – with the least busy selling only one ticket an hour – is a crucial part of this.”

Update (26th July):

The consultation had been due to end on 26th July but has now been extended until 1st September.

Francesca Caine, chair of Hadley Wood Rail User Group, is another of those critical of the proposed closures. She said: “Despite being the critical amenity providing the only daily public transport service for our community, Hadley Wood Station is already barely staffed and these proposals can only worsen the services provided by Great Northern.

“Not only will both vulnerable and non-tech-savvy and occasional rail users be especially disadvantaged, but there is also the danger of collateral damage to the availability of the station toilet, which Great Northern has decreed can only be open when the station is staffed.”

The public consultation on ticket office closures now runs until 1st September. To take part:
Visit londontravelwatch.org.uk/ticket-offices-have-your-say

Feryal Clark MP’s petition is available here:
Visit feryalclark.co.uk/ticketofficepetition

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