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Today – in a classic example of weasel words and buck passing – Transport Minister Mark Harper has announced the closure programme has been scrapped. Harper claims that:

““The proposals that have resulted from this process do not meet the high thresholds set by ministers, and so the government has asked train operators to withdraw their proposals”

Train operators proposals? What a classic attempt to pass the buck!

Saved for now. The lovely old booking office at Bridlington was one of many proposed for closure.

This whole process was started by Harper and the Department for Transport back in July when they INSTRUCTED operators to come up with proposals to close ticket offices. It wasn’t the operators idea. Why would it be? Contrary to what some in the media and on the political left claim this wouldn’t have made the operators any more money – exactly the opposite, because under their contracts they get paid a management fee for operating ticket offices. Reduce the size of the pie and you reduce the size of the operators slice of said pie.

This whole debacle is Harper and the Governments fault. They completely miscalculated the levels of opposition to their ‘cunning plan’ and were taken aback at the strength and size of the reactions. 750,000 people responded to Transport Focus’ consultation, many of them from the Tory-voting shires. The issue of access to the network hadn’t been though out – as the results of the consultation made plain.

Don’t be fooled by Harper’s claims and weasel words and when it comes to the next election – remember who’s really responsible for (mis)managing the railways. This government.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
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