Save our rail ticket office

[Wera Hobhouse and Kevin Guy in front of a closed ticket office position in Bath Spa station. Photo credit: Clive Dellard]

Bath’s MP, Wera Hobhouse, who is also Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesperson, has launched a petition to save the city’s rail ticket office following widespread opposition to proposed ticket office closures.

Rail firms have announced plans for the mass closure of England’s ticket offices. Train operators have proposed shutting down almost all 1,007 remaining offices within three years. The consultation on rail ticket office closures will run until Friday, 1st September.

For a range of reasons, many people need to speak to someone in person at a ticket office. Mrs Hobhouse believes that major stations must remain staffed from the first to last trains so that passengers can get assistance if they require it.

The local petition can be found here.

Wera Hobhouse, MP for Bath, commented:

“The government is prioritising cost-cutting measures over positive rail user experiences. Not only have they increased ticket prices, but they are now considering closing the Bath Spa ticket office residents so often use. 

“Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage city, and we are proud to see so many visitors travelling around the world to visit our beautiful community. However, it can be particularly confusing for foreign visitors to use an unfamiliar app or ticketing machine. 

“We also need to consider sustainable travel. We should encourage more people to use public transport to reduce transport emissions. Cutting ticket offices will only make people less confident in using these services.”

Cllr Kevin Guy, Liberal Democrat and Leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, commented:

“Local Lib Dems are speaking out against the proposal to move staff out of recognised points of sale, warning this will make it more difficult for passengers to find the best value fares – particularly for older and disabled people, visitors from overseas and those with fewer IT skills.”