GOODBYE TO ALL THAT: Portsmouth and Southsea station will lose its ticket office in the coming months (Photo credit: Heather Joyner)
Disabled rail passengers who rely on Portsmouth and Southsea and Portsmouth Harbour stations, including many local students, fear the closure of ticket offices into 2024.
The shutdown was recently confirmed by South Western Railway after the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) announced national closures to concentrate on economic growth after losses from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many concerned local people have voiced their fears that residents with sight loss and autism will struggle to use electronic ticket machines. Local and national organisations are petitioning for the RDG to reconsider.
We contacted Rebecca Smicle, Chief Executive for the Independent Lives charity, who said: “Closing railway ticket offices would have a huge impact on disabled people and make it more difficult for them to travel independently.
“According to Government data, two-thirds of rail passengers with disabilities experience problems when travelling by rail. These changes will only make the problems worse.”
All service providers in Portsmouth have clarified that measures to accommodate disabled passengers after office closures are being reviewed.
Francesca Frith, PR and Media Manager at Govia Thameslink (Southern) Railway, told us that no decisions have yet been made and that the company was working with Transport Focus and London TravelWatch on public feedback.
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