Suffolk railway ticket offices saved from closure amid government pressure
The offices at Lowestoft and Stowmarket have been granted a reprieve
Several railway station ticket offices in Suffolk have been granted a reprive, after plans to close hundreds of locations across England were scrapped.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the Government has asked train operators, including Greater Anglia, to withdraw their proposals.
This is in response to watchdogs Transport Focus and London TravelWatch announcing they opposed every single planned closure due to issues such as the impact on accessibility.
Plans would have seen the ticket offices in Lowestoft and Stowmarket closed, with the one at Ipswich remaining in place selling a full range of fares.
Mr Harper said: "The consultation on ticket offices has now ended, with the Government making clear to the rail industry throughout the process that any resulting proposals must meet a high threshold of serving passengers.
"We have engaged with accessibility groups throughout this process and listened carefully to passengers as well as my colleagues in Parliament.
"The proposals that have resulted from this process do not meet the high thresholds set by ministers, and so the Government has asked train operators to withdraw their proposals."
Plans to close the vast majority of station ticket offices in England were brought forward by train operators and their representative body, the Rail Delivery Group (RDG).
This followed pressure from the UK Government to cut costs amid the drop in revenue caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
A train operator source told the PA news agency: "There is quiet fury in the rail industry about where we've got to.
"The plan was signed off by civil servants and ministers. They've U-turned."