Rail consultation extended after criticism from North East leaders

A consultation into plans to close railway ticket offices has been extended after it was branded unfair, confusing and "unduly short".

The Rail Delivery Group said it had listened to listened to feedback.

But it maintained 99% of all ticket transactions could be done online.

The North East Joint Transport Committee (NEJTC), which acts on behalf of councils across Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and County Durham, wants to see the plans halted.

Last week the NEJTC said it had serious concerns about planned ticket office office closures in Alnmouth, Berwick, Hexham, Durham, Darlington, Morpeth and Sunderland.

It called the original three-week consultation "unacceptable" saying the deadline made it difficult for vulnerable passengers or those with a disability to take part.

Committee chair Martin Gannon said he was concerned "quality was being sacrificed for financial reasons" and that local needs had not been taken into account.

He feared that under the plans, a new ticket office being built as part of the redevelopment of Sunderland Railway Station could be closed before "it has even been opened".

Mr Gannon, who is also leader of Gateshead Council, said: "We and many others have pointed out that the consultation is too short, as well as being unfair in other ways.

"We hope the rail industry uses this extra time to provide the level of information that people need to properly understand and respond to the proposals.

"They should also fix some of the obvious issues that will make stations harder to use, especially for disabled people, if the ticket office closures go ahead."

Jacqueline Starr, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, said: "Train companies have listened to feedback, and are extending the time available to respond to the consultation on changes to how tickets are sold at stations to 1 September.

"Operators are keen to give more people a chance to give their views on the proposals, so they can bring the railway up to date with dramatic shifts in customer buying habits, while supporting all its customers as the railway evolves and adapts."

She said the main aim of the proposals was to bring staff "out from behind ticket windows" to offer more help for customers "buying tickets and navigating stations".

The issue is the latest flashpoint between train companies and unions, who have been in a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions, which has resulted in a series of strikes since last summer.

Nationally the plans could see 131 ticket offices closed.

Train firm Northern, which will keep a ticket office at Hartlepool, said the proposed changes would mean staff were "available at the right place and time time to help customers".

LNER, one of train operators running the consultation, said: "Our plans are designed to improve accessibility for all. We will add more customer contact points at our stations, increasing the availability of our colleagues across the station to support customers' varying needs."

It added ticket offices would remain, as Customer Information Centres at Edinburgh Waverley, Newcastle, York, Doncaster, Peterborough, and London King's Cross.

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