Opposition to Ticket Office closures passed unanimously at TUC Congress

Following more than 680,000 responses to the public consultation - the largest ever of its kind - the passenger watchdogs have decided to extend the period to consider the public responses to 31 October.

RMT is now seeking the following:

- an urgent meeting before 31 October with the passenger watchdogs to make the case to keep all rail ticket offices open.

- a lobby of parliament to ensure the parliamentary debates take place before 31st October.

- coordination with affiliates to explore options for providing support to legal challenges to the closures.

- an urgent meeting with government demanding withdrawal of the closures and other threats to rail workers jobs and conditions which have caused the disputes with the rail unions.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "The record response from the consultation and all the feedback we are getting shows that the public do not want ticket offices closed.

"They are a vital service on our railways, making them accessible to the vulnerable, elderly and disabled.

"We are going into the next phase of our campaign to get the government to stop rail operators forcing through 1000 ticket office closures and thousands of job losses leading to the de-staffing of our railway stations.

"Our union will fight these plans all the way and we will lobby Parliament before 31 October alongside other trade unions to ensure politicians exert the maximum pressure on the government to change course."