Andy Burnham has slammed the proposed closure of train station ticket offices as “wholly inadequate” for Greater Manchester.
Around three out of five train stations in England currently have a staffed ticket office – but in case you hadn’t heard, the government-run Rail Delivery Group (RDG) announced earlier this week that it’s looking to change that moving forward, and unveiled plans to “bring station staff closer to customers” by moving them out of ticket offices and onto platforms and concourses instead.
Bringing staff out from ticket offices would apparently allow the rail industry to “respond to that generational shift in customer behaviour” just like other similar industries and organisations have, the RDG said.
Ticket office facilities will remain open at the stations and interchanges considered by the RDG to be the “busiest”, but aside from this, the rest would be closed.
If the proposed changes are accepted, the RDG says closures would be “phased in gradually”.
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The industry body has now launched a 21-day public consultation on the proposed closures, and is asking passengers for their thoughts on the proposals.
Ticket offices could be closed at ‘nearly every’ train station in England / Credit: RDG
Since the proposed closures were announced, several concerns were raised.
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One notable criticism on the plans came from Transport for the North (TfN), with a spokesperson issuing a statement and acknowledging that while the organisation “understands the way people buy tickets is changing” and that there “needs to be reform”, this should, however, be done in a “holistic” way that considers the needs of all station users and local communities.
“We are concerned that the focus on ticket office staffing in isolation of wider investment could lead to disadvantaging certain passengers and communities,” the TfN spokesperson explained.
Another vocal critic was Mayor Andy Burnham, who took to Twitter shortly after the RDG’s announcement to slam the proposed plans and insist that the Greater Manchester Combined Authority(GMCA) would be “fighting this hard” with Greater Manchester‘s best interests at heart.
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Reeling from the news that FIFTY ticket offices are set to close at rail stations across GM.
Feels like the Government is determined to put the North’s railways into not-so-managed decline.
We will be fighting this hard and will say more about it tomorrow.
Mr Burnham tweeted earlier this week: “Reeling from the news that FIFTY ticket offices are set to close at rail stations across Greater Manchester. Feels like the Government is determined to put the North’s railways into not-so-managed decline.
“We will be fighting this hard and will say more about it tomorrow.”
As promised, the Mayor of Greater Manchester has now taken the fight one step further and has penned a letter to Transport Secretary Mark Harper to express his discontent and brand the proposals as “wholly inadequate”.
He has also called for an “immediate suspension” to rail operator Northern‘s process, otherwise he will “have no other option” but to consider legal action.
🗣️ "Passengers and staff have been taken aback by the scale of the proposed changes. To announce them without prior warning and head straight into a 21-day consultation period feels wholly inadequate to an issue of this seriousness."
— Mayor of Greater Manchester (@MayorofGM) July 6, 2023
In the letter to Mark Harper, Mr Burnham says that passengers and staff in Greater Manchester have been “taken aback by the scale of the proposed changes”, and that it feels as though they are being “railroaded through” without proper consultation on the impact they would have on passengers – particularly disabled people and older people.
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The Mayor argues that the proposals would “further damage the confidence of passengers in our railways at precisely the time when we are all seeking to attract more people to use public transport and rebuild vital revenue.”
He is calling on Northern to suspend the public consultation with immediate effect until they “publish an Equalities Impact Assessment (EQIA) to help inform consultation responses”, and has argued that current plans cannot “adequately be assessed without one”.
On top of that, he also said 21 days is a “clearly insufficient” amount of time for people to judge “such a far-reaching set of proposals”.
Featured Image – Flickr
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Oldham police issue dispersal order following ‘repeat incidents’ of disorder in town centre
Emily Sergeant
A dispersal order has been issued in Oldham following ‘repeat incidents’ of disorder between groups of youths.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed that it has implemented a Section 35 dispersal order and additional Section 60 ‘stop and search’ powers in Oldham following repeat incidents of disorder between groups of youths in the town centre.
The measures were introduced yesterday afternoon (9 December) after reports of disorder came into police, which also followed similar incidents seen earlier this and last week.
So far, five arrests have been made in connection with the incidents – two for violent disorder, and three for possession of offensive weapons.
A Section 35 dispersal order is in effect for 48 hours until 1:25pm this Thursday (11 December), and the Section 60 is in effect for an initial 24 hours until 1:25pm today.
#UPDATE | We have implemented a Section 35 dispersal order and a Section 60 stop and search powers in Oldham Town Centre today at 1:25pm.
The measures will remain in place for 48 hours for the S.35 and for 24 hours for the S.60 following disorder.
The dispersal order allows officers to exclude a person, or people, from an area for up to 48 hours through a written notice, while the Section 60 authority grants officers extended powers to stop and search individuals within the area.
Neighbourhood officers will maintain a high-visibility presence in the area and will use these powers where necessary to ‘keep the public safe’.
“These measures are in place to prevent further disorder and ensure the safety of those living, working, and visiting Oldham town centre,” commented Inspector Amie Whitehead, who is the Neighbourhood Inspector for Oldham South & West.
“We will not tolerate antisocial behaviour and will take robust action against anyone involved.
“These powers are crucial to preventing any further offences from taking place. If you have any concerns or any information, then please speak to those officers who are there to help.”
Anyone with any information is urged to contact police via 101 or using the LiveChat function on www.gmp.police.uk, quoting log 1619 of 09/12/25.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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Trafford Centre announces opening hours for 2025/26 festive season – including Boxing Day
Emily Sergeant
Trafford Centre has published its full list of opening hours for this current festive season.
We all know that the Christmas period is one of the busiest times of the year for the retail industry, with people flocking to the shops in their millions to snap up festive gifts for their loved ones, and it only gets busier from Boxing Day onwards too when all the sales launch, offering shoppers some unmissable deals and bargains.
And nowhere in Greater Manchester gets busier during the festive season than the Trafford Centre. After all, with more than 200 stores all under one room, it’s not hard to see why.
This year, shoppers can make the most of extended opening hours at the Trafford Centre right through to New Year’s Day – with late night shopping until 11pm on selected dates in December leading up to the big day.
Alongside being a one-stop-shop for gifts, there’s also dozens of festive events and new Christmas lights to enjoy at the Trafford Centre too, so visitors can tick everything off their list and have a great day out while they’re at it.
The shopping centre will be open from 9am – 5pm on Christmas Eve, so you can whip round and grab any last-minute presents, before it’s closed fully on Christmas Day, and then opens again bright and early at 8am on Boxing Day.
Trafford Centre Christmas Opening Hours 2025/26
18 and 19 December: 10am – 11pm
20 December: 10am – 10pm
21 December: 12pm – 6pm
22 and 23 December: 10am – 11pm
Christmas: 9am – 5pm
Christmas Day: Closed
26 December: 8am – 8pm (some stores may be closed, please check with individual brands)
27 December: 10am – 9pm
28 December: 12pm – 6pm
29 and 30 December: 10pm – 10pm
New Year’s Eve: 9am – 5pm
New Year’s Day: 12pm – 6pm
It’s also worth noting, however, that not every store inside the Trafford Centre will be open on Boxing Day, so you’ll need to check with individual brands ahead of time.
For the restaurants, stores, and leisure venues that are open, you can check their specific trading hours on the Trafford Centre website here.
When it comes to festive event, The Grotto is open until Christmas Eve for pre-bookings only, and the Christmas fairground and ice rink, Big Wheel, and Gandeys Snowstorm Firebird show are all open until 4 January (closed Christmas Day).
Emily Sergeant -
7th July 2023 
