AFTER an extension of the consultation period, which saw the deadline for submissions changed from July 26 (allowing only 21 days to respond) to September 1, it was revealed as this issue went to press that more than 460,000 comments have been received from organisations and individuals byTransport Focus and London Travelwatch.
The consultation is a legal process, as the National Rail Ticketing and Settlement Agreement obliges train operating companies that have ticket offices to consult with the statutory passenger watchdog organisations, which in turn cannot authorise change in a vacuum as the views of stakeholders affected must be considered.
The Rail Delivery Group, which acts on behalf of the train operators holding contracts with the Department forTransport, have arguably played a very poor hand in not coordinating the response of individual operators.
As an example,West MidlandsTrains plans to continue providing a ticket office at Birmingham Snow Hill while AvantiWest Coast plans to shut the facility at the much busier Birmingham New Street.