Experts call for ORR and EHRC to intervene in ticket office closures

With nationwide ticket office closures expected to launch any day, rail access experts and activists have come together to demand an emergency intervention by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and Equality Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

On Friday evening, the ORR informed us that it “has not seen any plans or given assurances on any matter connected with [the closures].” The EHRC also confirmed that it had been excluded from these discussions despite recently meeting with the Department for Transport (DfT) about railway destaffing. Experts believe that “this alone raises serious questions about whether the DfT has been following due process regarding its public sector equality duty.” They say: “Unless the ORR acts immediately, the process will go forward without adequate equality assurances, and without the necessary retail and accessibility mitigations in place.”

Download the letter to John Larkinson, CEO of Office of Rail and Road here.

Signatories to the open letter (in alphabetical order):

Ann Bates OBE, transport access consultant and former UK government advisor on transport accessibility.

Linda Burnip, disability rights activist.

Carrie Clewes, Head of Equality and Discrimination at Ringrose Law.

Avril Coelho, Disability, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Activist. 

Gareth Dennis, rail engineer, writer and co-founder of the Campaign for Level Boarding.

Matt Edwards, Transport and Healthy Streets Spokesperson for the Green Party.

Caroline Eglinton, UK Government Appointed Disability and Access Ambassador for the Rail Industry.

Bob Ellard, on behalf of the Disabled People Against Cuts Steering Group.

Sarah Gayton, Co-ordinator of the NFBUK Street Access Campaign.

Sue Groves MBE, Disability Access, Inclusion and Awareness Advisor.

Ellie Harrison, Chair of Get Glasgow Moving.

Cat Hobbs, Director of We Own It.

Andrew Hodgson, President of the National Federation of the Blind of the UK (NFBUK).

Anthony Jennings, rail accessibility advisor and co-founder of the Campaign for Level Boarding.

Sam Jennings, disability rights activist #DisabledByTheRailway.

Sarah Leadbetter, disability rights activist and campaigner at NFBUK.

Christiane Link, transport access consultant and director at Ortegalink Ltd.

Caroline Lucas MP, Member of Parliament for Brighton Pavilion.

Katharine Macy, Acting Chair of the Liberal Democrat Disability Association.

Jamie McCormack, disability rights activist.

Dziaer Neil, disability rights activist.

Doug Paulley, disability rights activist and researcher at kingqueen.org.uk

Paula Peters, disability rights activist.

Fran Postlethwaite, Secretary of Yorkshire and Humber National Pensioners Convention.

Peter Rayner, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Railway Operators (CIRO), Honorary Vice President of the National Pensioners Convention (NPC) and Secretary of the NPC Transport Working Party.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP, Member of Parliament for Streatham.

Helen Rowlands, on behalf of the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People.

Jan Shortt, General Secretary of the National Pensioners Convention.

Matthew Smith, Member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), former UK government advisor on transport accessibility and director at Rail Accessibility Ltd.

Chris Todd, Director, Transport Action Network.

Julian Vaughan, Chair of the Bedfordshire Rail Access Network.

Flick Williams, disability rights activist.

Emily Yates, Co-founder and researcher at Association of British Commuters.