Andrew Griffith, Member of Parliament for Arundel & South Downs, has launched a survey seeking feedback from his constituents on recent proposals to reform railway station staffing across the country.
The proposals include moving station staff onto platforms by closing ticket offices and transitioning to electronic tickets. Concerns have been raised about what this transition will mean for passengers.
The local Member of Parliament has stressed advice from rail operators which notes that no final decisions on these proposals have been made and that the industry is still at consultation stage. Operators have also made clear that no stations that have staff today will become unstaffed, opening hours will remain the same and assistance for those in need will still be provided in line with the Accessible Travel Policy.
Mr Griffith has been prominent in campaigning for better rural mobile connectivity which would alleviate issues around advice and railway travel updates at stations without staff.
Commenting, Andrew Griffith MP, said:
“I know that many in our community rely on the railways – myself included as a regular commuter to Westminster. Given this, it’s crucial that the railways get this modernisation right.
Making sure the most vulnerable can still receive the assistance they need and that our questions at stations can be answered is absolutely key – particularly in a rural area like ours. I will be submitting a response to the consultation to make this clear.
I have launched my own survey to inform my response and my conversations with Transport Ministers. You can take part at www.andrewgriffithmp.com/railway.”
Individuals can also submit their own response to the consultation by visiting transportfocus.org.uk and londontravelwatch.org.uk.
