Train station ticket office U-turn delights travellers and local MP

Richelle Walsh, Greenfield station's much-loved customer care assistant, celebrated the news of the Government's ticket office plan U-turn

Delighted rail travellers from Greenfield - Oldham's only mainline rail link - celebrated the news of the rail ticket office plan being scrapped with a welcome box of delights provided by Richelle Walsh, the station's much-loved customer care assistant.

The ticket office at Greenfield railway station will be spared after the Conservative government announced its decision to cancel shutting almost all 1,007 offices in England.

The decision was initially made to close ticket offices as the rail industry aimed to reduce costs after a fall in passenger numbers since Covid.

However, Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the proposals to close ticket offices “did not meet the high thresholds” of serving rail passengers.

Oldham East and Saddleworth MP debbie Abrahams was clearly relived at yesterday's news.

"I am delighted with the news that the ticket office Greenfield Station will stay open," she said.

"I want to say a massive thank you to the many residents who took part in my call for evidence over the summer which informed my letter to the Transport Minister.

"I truly believe that the proposals to close the ticket offices was an exclusionary and discriminatory policy and was pleased that the Chief Executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission wrote to me to confirm that he “shared [my] concerns” about this.

"I will continue in my work to campaign for greater accessibility at the station and am very pleased with the recent news that it will become accessible on both sides.

"This is something I have been pressing for since my election in 2011 and I will continue to press for greater detail on how and when this will be achieved.”

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