The list of stations set for closure have been announced, and sadly, there are a few on the Airedale and Wharfedale lines.
Northern say
Alongside other train companies, we are today launching a public consultation on our proposals. Northern currently manages 467 stations, of which 318 are unstaffed. Of the remaining 149 staffed locations, Northern is proposing to close 131 ticket offices and amend the operating hours at 18 ticket offices. It is Northern’s intention to close the 131 ticket office locations in a phased approach over an 18-month period, following receipt of approval to implement the changes. Upon such time that Northern commences closure of ticket offices, we will undertake regular reviews to assess the change through customer and employee surveys.
Our customers’ expectations for how they plan and make their journeys has changed. For buying tickets, digital is now the dominant channel in line with other industries, driven by changes in consumer demand towards ease and convenience. Only 1 in 6 journeys on Northern services are bought through a ticket office, compared with almost half of all journeys in 2018. This highlights that the customer requirement for ticket offices as a retail channel is rapidly diminishing, a trend that is expected to continue.
In our area, Ilkley and Keighley ticket offices are among 131 that would close, while the Skipton station ticket office’s opening times would be reduced. Skipton would be one of 18 across the region that remain open, but it’s opening hours would change to be 6am to 6pm on weekdays and 9am to 5pm on weekends, under the plans. The new ‘Journey Makers’ at Ilkley station would work 7am-4pm on weekdays and 9.30am-4.30pm on Saturdays, while at Keighley there would be a member of staff on hand 6am-6pm weekdays and 7am-7pm on Saturdays.
The ticket offices earmarked for closure in our area are –
Bingley
Bradford Forster Square
Guiseley
Ilkley
Keighley
Leeds Travel Centre
Menston
Morecambe
Settle
Shipley
The consultation is open until 28th July via the Transport Focus website at transportfocus.org.uk/train-station-ticket-office-consultation/
You can find more details about the proposed changes at northernrailway.co.uk/consultation-2023