Man with Tourette's fears closure of train ticket offices

A man with Tourette's syndrome fears the closure of his local railway station ticket office will put him back to "square one".

Paul Stevenson, 60, was diagnosed 14 years ago and often travels from Berwick-Upon-Tweed to Newcastle.

He said train travel made him extremely anxious, which triggers his tics, but office staff offered "reassurance".

The Rail Delivery Group wants to move ticket office staff on to platforms and provide help from there.

Charities estimate there are 300,000 people with Tourette's syndrome in the UK.

Some with the condition claim being in confined spaces, such as public transport, worsens their tics which include repeated twitches, movements or sounds.

"You're sat next to somebody, you're not always comfortable, anxiety and stress exacerbates the condition," Mr Stevenson, from Berwick, said.

"If I try and stop the tics, it's suppression and a bit like fizzy pop. [Once] that lid just comes off, the pressure is going to release all at once and have a tic attack, which is just constant."

He relies on ticket office staff to help him understand train timetables, deal with missed or late trains, and assist when he is feeling vulnerable.

However, he fears travel will become more difficult if the office closures go ahead.

"Every time you go into the ticket office you're dealt with compassion and empathy - that's something machines can't do," he said.

"I can't walk up to a machine and say 'listen I've had a hard time, I've missed my train, this train has been late, please can I upgrade my ticket', it's not going to do that and that's my main worry.

"It's taken me years since getting diagnosed to build up the confidence to travel around the country... I don't want to be back at square one."

The closures, which include Berwick station, have been put forward by train operating companies.

They are under pressure from the government to cut costs after being supported heavily during the Covid pandemic and argue only 12% of tickets are bought at station kiosks.

The proposals have seen a wave of protest from accessibility campaigners after they were revealed last month.

Pippa McClounan from the charity Tourette's Action, is calling for a rethink.

"A lot of people with Tourette's tell us being in public spaces can be really difficult and can cause anxiety, which in turn increases their tics especially when travelling alone," she said.

"85% of people with Tourette's also have a co-occurring condition like OCD, ADHD or anxiety so not having manned ticket offices will have an impact on that."

"If people [with Tourette's] are acting in a way that might appear unusual to the public, they're going to stare which makes people with Tourette's more uncomfortable."

"Having that back up from someone in a ticket office makes them feel safer."

The Rail Delivery Group said equality impact assessments had been carried out at every station.

A spokesperson said: "In collaboration with charities, we have implemented a robust system that includes accessible ticket machines, clear signage, audio announcements and trained staff to provide personalised assistance through our passenger assist app."

A consultation on the plans has been extended until 1 September.

The Department for Transport said: "While this is a matter for the industry, it is right that train operators have listened to feedback and extended their consultations, following continued engagement with stakeholders, including accessibility groups."

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