The Leader of Worthing Borough Council in West Sussex has joined the chorus of opposition to proposed ticket office closures.
Cllr Dr Beccy Cooper has written to train operating companies urging them to abandon plans to close ticket offices in the seaside town.
Operators across the country plan to permanently close ticket offices, including locally at Goring, Durrington, West Worthing and Worthing.
If available, station staff will be able to help passengers on station concourses only.
Train operators are consulting the public about their proposed changes, with people able to submit their opinions until tomorrow (Friday 1 September), the deadline having been extended from the original 26 July due to the volume of responses.
It is widely thought that the majority of responses are against the move. However, local operator Southern said that closing ticket offices “supports its wider moves to modernise the railway, put customer service at its heart and offer a more varied and interesting role for colleagues”.
Campaigners against the closure plan counter that it will be harder to find staff around the station than in a static ticket office.
In her letter, Cllr Cooper points out that ticket offices provide services that are not available at ticket vending machines, including season tickets, refunds, disabled persons discounts and cash payments.
Cllr Cooper said: “We strongly believe that should these plans go ahead, passengers' access to rail services and best value fares would be hugely impacted.
“Disabled people and the elderly in particular already face significant barriers to accessing the rail network and these proposals would only worsen them. Interaction with ticket office staff is often vital for these groups and at many stations access to facilities such as toilets, disabled toilets, waiting rooms and lifts is dependent on help from ticket office staff.
“Ticket office staff are trained and experienced in dealing with difficult incidents and the presence of staff deters abusive and anti-social behaviour, meaning they are crucial to passenger safety. ‘Roving' staff will be much harder to locate and will not present the same deterrent.
“In terms of cost effectiveness, it is difficult to see how train operators would be able to demonstrate that their proposals would make cost savings, unless there is the intention to reduce staffing. I am wholly opposed to any cuts to station staffing and this cannot be used to justify a policy that will worsen passenger service, accessibility, safety, security and access to rail services.”
