Transport for London (TfL) has secured the right to close more than half the ticket offices along the new Elizabeth line cross-capital rail system, a new document has confirmed, in a move that would discriminate against many disabled rail passengers.
Concerns about possible plans to close the ticket offices first emerged last September, when the RMT rail union released extracts from a contract between TfL and the private sector GTS joint venture that runs the line.
Information secured from TfL by Disability News Service (DNS) now provides further evidence that disabled activists and allies were right to raise fears that the rail industry was secretly examining ways it could push through closures across the country, two years after the Conservative government abandoned plans to close most ticket offices in England.
A public consultation in 2023 saw nearly 750,000 public objections to the proposed nationwide closures, with 99 per cent of those who took part opposing the plans.
Although TfL insisted this week that it had “no plans to close ticket offices”, it accepted that the option was in the contract.
Inclusion London has previously warned that closing Elizabeth line ticket offices would “shut station doors to those already facing significant barriers to safe, reliable, and convenient travel”, and it issued a fresh warning this week about the possible closures.
The Elizabeth line runs from Reading and Heathrow Airport to the west of London, through the city, and to Abbey Wood and Shenfield to the east of the capital.
TfL had originally redacted the parts of the GTS contract which showed it had agreed an option with GTS to “repurpose” 24 ticket offices along the Elizabeth line.
But – thanks to pressure from the Information Commissioner’s Office, following a freedom of information complaint from DNS – TfL has now published a version of the contract* without those redactions.
It reveals (on page 15) that TfL has agreed with GTS that it has the right to launch a Ticket Retailing Modernisation Programme later this year.
This programme could lead to the “repurposing” of ticket offices as retail units at all 24 “Operator Leased Stations”.
The contract explains that this could mean closures at 12 of the smaller “devolved” stations on the eastern section of the line – such as Abbey Wood, Brentwood, Ilford and Manor Park – as well as the 11 “leased” stations on the western section of the line – including Acton, Ealing Broadway, Hayes and Harlington, and Southall – as well as Stratford station.
If the programme goes ahead (see page 583 onwards of the contract), it could lead to the closure of at least one ticket office by 18 December this year, and to all 24 closing by 20 August 2027, in just 18 months’ time.
If it wanted to go ahead with the closures, GTS would have to carry out a statutory public consultation – which could lead to some ticket offices being spared from closure – like the one carried out in 2023.
It would also have to assess whether the closures complied with its public sector equality duty under the Equality Act.
And GTS would have to explain how it would address any “direct or indirect discrimination” caused by the closures.
The contract even describes how GTS would have to cover the windows of the decommissioned ticket offices with “vinyl” designs approved by TfL.
Laura Vicinanza, Inclusion London’s senior policy and stakeholder engagement manager, said: “Travelling with confidence looks different for all of us, and reliable staff assistance plays a vital role.
“Even though the Elizabeth line is the newest line, most stations are only accessible step-free if there are staff to put down ramps for us.
“Or some of us need a sighted guide to get on the train safely.
“Ticket offices are often the place we go to find that assistance or information.
“We are very concerned that if TfL took away ticket offices, it would be harder to get the assistance we need.
“We do not want to move further towards more unmanned stations, because these stop us travelling safely and spontaneously.”
Emma Vogelmann, co-chief executive at the disabled-led charity Transport for All, said: “The British public could not have been clearer about ticket offices.
“Attempts to close them spark widespread opposition because people know that staff matter.
“For many disabled people, the ticket office is the place we can go when ticket machines are inaccessible, do not sell the full range of tickets people are entitled to, when journeys need planning or things go wrong.
“This unredacted contract shows that Transport for London has quietly built in the option to remove that reliable point of contact at stations across the Elizabeth line.
“If TfL genuinely wants to improve safety and inclusivity on public transport, closing ticket offices does the opposite.
“Those decisions should never be made behind closed doors or without public consent.”
A TfL spokesperson said: “To ensure we are always providing the best possible service to our customers, in long-term operator contracts we include an option to explore how we might evolve the service with any future technology developments, including customer retailing.
“There are no plans to close ticket offices.”
*See Elizabeth line concession agreement 2
Picture by Monica Wells, Crossrail Ltd/Transport for London
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