Tonight’s major demonstration against mass ticket office closures should be the “straw that breaks the camel’s back” and force a government U-turn, unions and campaigners said today.

RMT has garnered overwhelming support for its Save Our Ticket Offices campaign, with more than half a million people taking part in a public consultation on the proposals, which ends tomorrow.

Ahead of the march on Downing Street and Parliament, Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan told the Morning Star: “I’m hoping this will be the one that breaks the camel’s back because there’s not one person who seems to be in favour of these proposals and this is the time for government to listen.”

With speeches set to warn the closures would breach the human rights for the oldest and disabled passengers at the demonstration, Mr Whelan warned that the Rail Delivery Group plans to close 974 ticket offices in England could have disastrous health and safety consequences.

“The railways are an increasingly dangerous place. Closing the ticket offices make it less safe,” he said.

“Will that mean the end of driver-only-operated railways? I think there’s implications for this people haven’t thought of.

“These are just arbitrary cuts for the sake of it. It is nonsense, it’s a badly thought-out ill-conceived idea which is at worst unsafe and at best will deter people from our railways.”

Amid their long-running pay and conditions disputes, Aslef drivers are set to walk out tomorrow and refuse non-contractual overtime on Saturday, the day of a strike by their sister union, RMT.

Mr Whelan said: “We are nowhere near resolution.

“Our members would like us to go harder and faster — what we are seeing is our mandates are getting higher. From 92 to 99 per cent.

“That tells you that our members are in this for the long haul and they will do whatever they can to get a pay rise that they feel is appropriate.”

Shadow rail minister Tan Dhesi and PCS president Fran Heathcote are among those set to give speeches at the rally tonight.

Sarah Leadbetter from the National Federation for the Blind UK, Jan Shortt from the National Pensioners Convention (NPC), Paula Peters from Disabled People Against Cuts are also due to speak.

Ms Heathcote is set to say: “We are now in a period of deepening crisis and the profiteers are giving no concessions. We cannot look to the politicians to come to our rescue.

“If we are to defeat these attacks, and win what we deserve, we must do more than just fight — we have to unite our action to fight effectively, to defend our members and defend our class. 

“We must campaign together, and whenever we can, we must strike together.”

Ms Leadbetter, who is visually impaired, told the Star: “Seven years ago my legs went under a station train because I didn’t have station assistance.

“What is the point of going through shielding, getting the remission of cancer, getting a guide dog? Because it would be my independence gone.

“I would have to rely on people to drive me everywhere.”

RMT union said the demonstration against the plans, which would see 2,300 job losses from stations around the country, will mark the next phase of its campaign, saying it is looking to increase lobbying of MPs and ramp up strike action.

General secretary Mick Lynch said: “Closing ticket offices will lead to the widespread destaffing of stations and make the railways inaccessible to thousands of disabled, vulnerable and elderly passengers.

“We will not quietly sit back and allow this to happen.”

TSSA interim general secretary Peter Pendle said: “It’s clear that the public recognise that ticket offices perform an essential role in making our railways safe and accessible for all.”

Ms Shortt, general secretary of the NPC, Britain’s biggest campaign group run for and by older people, said: “The ticket office closures programme breaches every known aspect of equality under the UK laws that we all abide by — that is why the NPC submission demands that this proposal is completely abandoned.”

The Department for Transport said: “The rail industry’s consultations run until September 1 and are about enhancing the role of station workers to better support all passengers. No final decisions have been made.”