Station Ticket Office Closures

6.18.43pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 14th Jul 2008

Further to the leak of information about the closures of station ticket offices (Vincent Cable press release 23 June), SW Trains will this week embark on a formal public consultation via notices displayed at local stations from July 154 to August 8.

SW Trains argues that with more tickets sold via vending machines and the internet, there is less need for staff on the stations selling tickets. Staff hours will be cut at most of the smaller stations and some staff will lose their jobs at stations like Richmond and Twickenham.

Vincent Cable said: "I have already had an exchange of correspondence with Stewart Palmer, the managing director of SW Trains. If he thinks that automated vending is working well he should spend more time at our stations when there are often long queues and broken machines. The rail company does not make life easy for people who can't get a ticket and it is passengers, not the rail staff, who have to take responsibility for regularising journeys without a ticket, as soon as possible."

"SW Trains are also being short sighted to ignore the tangible benefits of properly manned stations including reduction in vandalism and graffiti and reassurance for passengers travelling alone especially when stations are dark in winter".

"I suspect that "consultation" is a formality but local commuters should make their views known to SW Trains or via me".