Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of closing train station ticket offices in Leeds East on the (a) safety and (b) accessibility of passenger rail travel in Yorkshire.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours, including closures, operators are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of all passengers; and to include this in the notice of the proposal sent to other operators and passenger groups. We would also expect operators to consider other equality related needs and make this clear in the notice sent to other operators and passenger groups.
Together with industry, we want to improve and modernise the passenger experience by moving staff out from ticket offices to provide more help and advice in customer focused roles. No currently staffed station will be unstaffed as a result of industry changes, and train operators will ensure staff are well located to meet passenger needs in future.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to protect staff (a) employed by Northern Trains and (b) employed at Leeds City Station from contracting covid-19 during the course of their employment.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Comprehensive guidance has been issued and updated throughout the pandemic. Our priority is the safety of staff and passengers and our operators remain committed to ensuring their stations are safe for everyone.