Train ticket office U-turn welcomed by West Sussex councillors
Train operators have been asked by the government to withdraw the proposals to close ticket offices
West Sussex councillors have welcomed the decision to backtrack on plans to close hundreds of railway ticket offices.
Over the past months, councils up and down the county have written to the government and rail operators protesting the plans and raising concerns about how elderly, disabled and vulnerable people would be able to buy tickets and stay safe at stations.
Now train operators have been asked by the government to withdraw the proposals ‘because they failed to meet high passenger standards’.
Adrian Moss, leader of Chichester District Council said: “I’m extremely pleased to hear that rail companies have seen sense and withdrawn their proposals to close railway ticket offices.
“As I have said before, ticket offices provide a vital service to residents in Chichester district.
“Having a clearly sign-posted place in the station for people with ticket enquiries provides certainty and confidence for customers who may struggle to otherwise locate station staff.
“Not all residents are able to use station ticket machines due to disability, and many in our district do not have the means to book a ticket digitally in advance.
“In addition, complicated journeys involving connections are likely to require human assistance to ensure customers purchase the most appropriate and cheapest tickets, and do not incur penalties or pay more than necessary for their journey.
“The closure of ticket offices would have disproportionately affected elderly and disabled residents as well as those with poor literacy and IT skills.
“Our district has a higher proportion of elderly and retired residents compared to the national average and similarly, there is a higher proportion of disabled residents in Chichester City compared to the national average.
“If these closures had gone ahead, then many of our residents would have found their ability to travel the rail network severely impacted.”
Michael Jones, leader of Crawley Borough Council, said he would like to see the precise details behind the reverse but called initial reports ‘an encouraging development’.
He added: “This would be the right decision for customer service and the best interest of rail passengers.
“However, the proposals on such a scale should never have been allowed, or indeed encouraged by the government in the first place.
“If it hadn’t, it would not have needed the pressure of the wave of public outrage to shame them into reversing it in the first place.”
Alison Bennett, deputy leader of Mid Sussex District Council, also took a swipe at the government for allowing things to go so far.
She said: “I welcome the government’s decision to backtrack on plans that would have seen every railway ticket office in Mid Sussex closed.
“It is incredible though that the Conservative government is so out of touch with normal life, that these ill-conceived plans had to go through a public consultation generating 750,000 comments before they would rethink.
“It really is just one more example of why the Conservatives need a long spell in opposition.”