AMID plans to cut ticket offices, reporter Kevin Glenton has spoken to a visually impaired passenger at York station.

 

Max knows his way to the information desk at York Railway Station. It’s a journey he makes at least once a month.

Through the brightly lit entrance, ignoring the fast-food outlets and picking his way past WHSmith, he stops near the windowed kiosk, and waits.

He waits for John to offer him a treat. And then he lays down.  

John Reeder, from Clifton Moor, is visually impaired and with his guide dog Max, is here to drop a light-blue suitcase with the man at the desk, reassured that it is safe and will be on board the 1243 train to Birmingham New Street with them. John’s girlfriend lives in England’s second city.

Details were exchanged with the man behind the kiosk, who promptly wheeled the case away and the travellers could tick off part of the routine of passenger assistance their journey requires.

They’d just entered the station yesterday (July 18), near to the protest by disability rights campaigners at Rail Delivery Group (RDG) nationwide proposals to ‘bring station staff closer to customers’ which would create the knock-on effect of closing ticket offices in a number of locations. RDG says staff would be moved onto the concourse, to better support face-to-face interactions.

York Press: Protesters gather outside York Railway Station yesterday (July 18)Protesters gather outside York Railway Station yesterday (July 18) (Image: Kevin Glenton)

John said: “As it stands when we’re at any station, I know that if I go to a desk or a ticket office, I’m getting the right people to help me.

“From what I understand, they’ve proposed that staff are going to go out onto the platforms. I’m guessing that [they] are going to approach me.

“How does someone who can’t see know that that is who they say they are? And not just some opportunist who’s going to grab my suitcase and do a runner?”

London North Eastern Railway (LNER), the operator of York Railway Station, confirmed that the ticket office there will be retained without a change to current opening times and services offered. Passenger Assist will also continue, the firm said.

Other stations on its routes will see a move away from traditional services to what the rail firm calls a “digital retailing experience”.

John said: “In terms of getting tickets, there’s more chance of plaiting fog than me being able to use one of those ticket machines.

“So that means that I’m either gonna have to get my tickets in advance, with someone who’s fully sighted which means I can’t do it independently.

“I’m then reliant on when friends or family are available to help me do that.”

Train operating companies began a process of public consultation on the proposed changes to ticket offices on July 5.

John said: “I did hear somewhere that, I think there was a consultation and I think a lot of it had to be done online.

“Going online’s easier said than done when you’re visually impaired, even managing to use a screen reader, it starts to sound monotonous, the tones of Siri.

“You get through more than a couple of paragraphs and it just becomes a drone.”

John felt the process and proposals will increase his sense of isolation and further marginalise him.

He said: “Life’s difficult enough anyway and then you get these extra hurdles.

“It feels like we’re not cared about really.”

The government’s Transport Committee has re-opened its request for specific written evidence on the broader topic of accessible transport to assess the impact that the proposed arrangements outlined by train operators will have on travellers with access needs and disabled people.

The original request took submissions from bodies including the National Federation of the Blind of the UK, Disability Rights UK, Scope and the Equality and Human Rights Commission and is now receiving evidence until August 16.

Read more about the Transport Committee request for evidence here.