Leeds railway station ticket office vacancies

That this House acknowledges that Leeds is one of the UK’s busiest railway stations, with nearly 25 million passengers travelling to and from the station in 2023-24; recognises the vital role that ticket offices play for passengers, including ensuring they get the best value ticket for their journey, providing high quality advice and journey planning information, and providing a full range of fares and services, many of which are not available online or via Ticket Vending Machines; further recognises that the importance of ticket offices was exemplified by the unprecedented public opposition to plans to close around 1,000 ticket offices in 2023; notes with concern reports that there are seven longstanding unfilled vacancies at the ticket office which has caused the ticket office to be understaffed, leaving around 25 shifts a week uncovered; further notes that this understaffing is having a detrimental impact on passengers and the existing staff working in the ticket office; recalls that the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Department for Transport-managed train operators and the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) in November 2023 provided for any recruitment freezes to be lifted and vacancies filled; understands that Leeds station ticket office is managed by Northern Trains Ltd, which is owned by the Government; and therefore calls on the Government to ensure that all unfilled vacancies at Leeds ticket office are permanently filled as a matter of urgency.