RAIL unions have raised fresh safety concerns over the planned closure of ticket offices, ahead of a central London protest and the end of a consultation on the widely opposed proposals.

All three main rail unions are stepping up campaigning against the plans amid a huge response to the consultation, with more than 460,000 people taking part.

The RMT, which has called the demonstration opposite Downing Street tomorrow evening, said that the plans to close up to 1,000 ticket offices would threaten the jobs of 2,300 station staff.

The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) said that an incident at a London station last week, in which a drunk man attempted to spit at a female ticket office worker, had highlighted staff safety concerns.

TSSA president Melissa Heywood said: “We will not accept a situation in which our members are put at risk because of the Conservative government’s cost-cutting measures.

“It is clear from the incidents of abuse against station staff that have been reported to us that ticket offices help make our members safer.”

Mick Whelan, general secretary of train drivers’ union Aslef, has written to train operators asking for an assessment of the risks to drivers’ health and safety from the plans to close ticket offices.

He told them: “The planned closure of ticket offices represent a significant change to the work environment and current working practices, including for drivers who interact with ticket office staff to carry out their duties and who will also, under the planned changes, find themselves in new lone working situations.“

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that the public response to the government wanting to shut every ticket office in Britain had been very encouraging.

He said: “These plans lock in age and disability discrimination and if they are carried out, it will mean many vulnerable passengers will not feel safe using the network.

“We will be lobbying MPs, several of whom from across the political spectrum have been supportive of our campaign, and RMT will increase the pressure on the government to abandon its increasingly unpopular policy.”

London TravelWatch and Transport Focus will assess the response to the consultation after it ends tomorrow.

A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group said: “We welcome all of the feedback received so far.

“Train companies are committed to making sure customers’ views are taken into account and will continue to engage with passengers, accessibility and safety groups.”