As Hitchin Nub News has reported for the last year, plans detailing the mass closure of almost all of England's remaining railway ticket offices have been confirmed today, Wednesday, (July 5)

Nearly 1,000 offices are to be targeted for closure under plans to cut costs and 'modernise' railways.

This is an effort, say the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), to reduce running costs. As such, nearly all ticket offices could be closed, with only the busiest remaining open.

This would see nearly all of the 1,007 tickets offices left in England closing within three years - but some as soon as today.

Disability transport campaigners, Transport for All, Tweeted: "Given the size and scale of the ticket office closures, with such profound impacts on disabled people, it is staggering that disabled people and our orgs have not had the opportunity to influence this policy at a National level."

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Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), Mick Lynch, said: "We will not meekly sit by and allow thousands of jobs to be sacrificed or see disabled and vulnerable passengers left unable to use the railways as a result."

However, the RDG said that ticket office staff would move on to station platforms in "new and engaging roles". 

Despite this promise, many rail workers fear job losses and, with pay disputes ongoing, compulsory redundancy offers look set to expire at the end of next year.

RMT members working across 14 train operating companies, including East Midlands Rail, are set to take strike action on 20, 22 and 29 July.