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Baroness Kishwer Falkner, Chairwoman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, recently said:

“We have submitted a response to the Department for Transport (DfT) consultation on the proposed closure of ticket offices across the rail network.

“We welcome the extension of the consultation period, which resulted partly from our letter to the Department sent in July. But we remain concerned about the potential impact of ticket office closures, particularly on disabled and older rail users.

“Our response reminds train companies and the Department of their legal obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty of the Equality Act 2010. This requires those providing public services, such as rail travel, to think about how their decisions and policies affect people who are legally protected, such as people with disabilities, so that they are not disadvantaged.

“We are particularly disappointed that the Department for Transport has not yet shown us or published an equality impact assessment on their proposals.

“We encourage train companies to act on the feedback they’ve received, to minimise any adverse impact of their proposals, particularly on disabled and older people.”

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