Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the government had asked train operators to withdraw their proposals because they failed to meet high passenger standards.
But passenger watchdogs Transport Focus and London Travelwatch objected to the proposals, saying they had received 750,000 responses from individuals and organisations in a public consultation.
Announcing the decision to reverse the closures, Mr Harper said the government had made it “clear to the rail industry throughout the process that any resulting proposals must meet a high threshold of serving passengers”.
Labour’s shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh called it “shambolic” and a “humiliating climbdown”, saying the cancelled plans had been “a colossal waste of taxpayers’ money”.
The planned closures were the latest flashpoint between train companies and unions in their long-running dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions.
Transport for All, a disabled-led organisation, called it “the best possible outcome”, but added that while the government was “eventually swayed, it is appalling that disabled people’s concerns were dismissed for so long”.
The original article contains 593 words, the summary contains 164 words. Saved 72%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the government had asked train operators to withdraw their proposals because they failed to meet high passenger standards.
But passenger watchdogs Transport Focus and London Travelwatch objected to the proposals, saying they had received 750,000 responses from individuals and organisations in a public consultation.
Announcing the decision to reverse the closures, Mr Harper said the government had made it “clear to the rail industry throughout the process that any resulting proposals must meet a high threshold of serving passengers”.
Labour’s shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh called it “shambolic” and a “humiliating climbdown”, saying the cancelled plans had been “a colossal waste of taxpayers’ money”.
The planned closures were the latest flashpoint between train companies and unions in their long-running dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions.
Transport for All, a disabled-led organisation, called it “the best possible outcome”, but added that while the government was “eventually swayed, it is appalling that disabled people’s concerns were dismissed for so long”.
The original article contains 593 words, the summary contains 164 words. Saved 72%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!