Angry council urges rethink over Sunderland station ticket office that could 'close before it opens'

The £26million station is due to open this autumn, with construction well underway. However, Rail operator Northern Railway intends to close 131 ticket offices nationally under cost-saving plans announced earlier this month.

Opponents say digital exclusion will cause big problems in the North East, with an estimated 200,000 people struggling for internet access. There are also security concerns for unmanned stations.

Kim McGuinness, Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner and Labour candidate in the first North East mayoral election in May 2024, said: “Under the proposed closure plans the 2.1 million people from Northumberland to D urham would have access to one staffed ticket station; in Newcastle.”

Sunderland’s opposition Lib Dem councillors have also spoken out against the plans.

The closures seem to put Sunderland in an unusual position, whereby a ticket office is being built, but is unlikely to be used.

The leader of Sunderland City Council, Cllr Graeme Miller, said: “This is about more cuts to public services and I’m in total agreement with the rising wave of protest against shutting railway station ticket offices.

“And this is even before we dwell on the point or irony that a ticket office in our city’s new railway station might not even actually open.

“It’s a station that so many people across Sunderland fought and campaigned on for so many years and yet there’s a chance now that an integral part of the building, the ticket office, might never open.

“The consultation and the proposals are very disappointing and there are legal challenges, representations from MPs, the travelling public, consumer groups and many others all totally against these proposals.

“I would urge rail users and the general travelling public to make their views known about how they feel.”

Northern Railway has defended the closures. Tricia Williams, chief operating officer, said: “Along with the rest of the rail industry, Northern is sharing proposals on how we plan to change how we support customers at our stations.These proposals include the creation of a new, more visible customer facing role that will offer a wider range of support across our stations.”