Despite all the mechanisms in place to safeguard accessibility, proposals which risked significantly damaging disabled people’s access to the rail network by closing hundreds of ticket offices were published in 2023 and only withdrawn after a huge response to public consultation. This was a waste of time and resources and it resulted in a burden being placed once again on disabled people themselves to advocate for their needs. (Conclusion, Paragraph 74)

Despite all the mechanisms in place to safeguard accessibility, proposals which risked significantly damaging disabled people’s access to the rail network by closing hundreds of ticket offices were published in 2023 and only withdrawn after a huge response to public consultation. This was a waste of time and resources and it resulted in a burden being placed once again on disabled people themselves to advocate for their needs. (Conclusion, Paragraph 74) Type: conclusion | Number: 10 | Response status: not_addressed Government response: The Department agrees that effective governance and transparency are fundamental aspects of accountable government, and that consultation and engagement is meaningful.