Newbury MP condemns rail ticket office closures

A "level of human contact" is needed at ticket booths says Richard Benyon MP

THE MP for Newbury has said proposals to close ticket offices at several railway stations across West Berkshire are “worrying”.

The manned booths at stations such as Thatcham, as well as other areas of the district including Theale, Tilehurst, Mortimer and Goring and Streatley would be axed and replaced with ticket machines to save costs.

Should the Transport Secretary Philip Hammond accept the findings of Sir Roy McNulty's government-commissioned Rail Value for Money study in November, the ticket booths will be among 675 in England and Wales hit by the cuts.

Mr Benyon said: “It could put people off using trains which is what we don't want.

“I understand the argument from First Great Western that there is often no benefit in having staff at some of the stations out of hours, but I am worried about the effect losing the staff at some of the busier stations such as Thatcham and Theale could have at peak times.

“It is a highly competitive market and I do understand First Great Western's concerns, but at the end of the day users of the railways require a level of human contact when using the trains.

“It is something they expect. It is my job to stand up for the rights and back the concerns of my constituents who do use the trains and that is what I will do here.”

The report suggests the closure of ticket offices at category “E” stations, which are small stations typically attended by a single member of staff, are amongst other cost-saving measures including reducing ticket office opening hours at some slightly larger stations.

Network Rail has said it is fully behind the McNulty report, which it believes will result in a change for the better, however rail unions and passengers have been scathing in their criticism.

Britain's largest specialist transport union RMT, calling it “the single biggest attack on the railways since the 1960s”.

Public transport protection group Together for Transport has urged concerned West Berkshire residents to write to Mr Benyon expressing their fears.

It said replacing the ticket office with a machine would reduce the service and make it more difficult for many people to travel.