It might be hard to remember the last time you bought a ticket from the ticket office from the station.
The introduction of ticket machines and e-tickets have led to faster and more convenient journeys for millions of passengers up and down the country, and for lots of us it's only when confronted with a broken machine that you might rely on one.
But for many disabled and older passengers, ticket offices remain an absolute lifeline - without which they simply wouldn't be able to travel.
That's why when train operators put forward plans to close ticket offices as part of the modernisation of our railway earlier this year, I heard from countless passengers worried about the impact this might have on them. I wrote to the Rail Minister back in August setting out local concern, and have been waiting to find out the result of the consultation.
I was really pleased to see the announcement today that the government has listened, and the planned closures won't be going ahead. It’s a win for everyone who spoke up, and goes to show that a collective voice does get heard.
As I said at the time, we have to modernise the railway if we want to secure its future, but that can’t involve leaving disabled and older passengers behind.
That’s why I’ve also been supporting bids for accessibility improvements at Headcorn, Faversham and Lenham stations. Trains are a ticket to independence for so many people and we’ve got to keep it that way.
