Save our ticket offices!

This week, egged on by the Tory Government in Westminster, the railway industry announced plans to close hundreds of ticket offices accross England, including closures by Northern at Gorton and Levenshulme stations, by Avanti West Coast at Piccadilly, and across Greater Manchester.

That news will be deeply worrying to older and disabled constituents, parents with young children, the hundreds of thousands of people employed in our rail industry and all those who rely on the support and advice provided by staff in ticket offices.

Passengers are already suffering due to the chaos on our railways. They should not have to face any further disruptions to their travel plans due to rushed changes to our rail networks. It is vital that staff have clarity about their job security and that vulnerable passengers have certainty that they will not be forgotten about as changes are made to the way our stations operate.

People in Gorton, Levenshulme, all of Manchester and beyond must make their views known to Northern and to the Tory government in Westminster. As your Member of Parliament, I will be standing up against the closure of our ticket offices.

Show your support by signing my petition, and by emailing your views to the consultation at ticketoffice.Northern@transportfocus.org.uk