East Sussex train ticket offices 'cannot be replaced' by ticket machines

Lewes politicians have called on the Conservative government and rail company bosses to drop plans to permanently shut 974 ticket offices in England.

The comments follow the closure of a public consultation on shutting most of England’s 1,000 offices within three years, in an attempt to ‘modernise’ the railway.

The proposals would see offices at Falmer, Plumpton, Newhaven Town, Seaford, and Lewes station set to close.

These plans have angered a number of residents within East Sussex, who say these services cannot be replaced by ticket machines or other alternatives suggested by rail company management.

Green District Councillor Paul Keene said: “The public have been brilliant all across Lewes District, joining our protests and letter writing campaign, as well as adding their names to national petitions to fight back against these tin-eared and deeply wrong Government and rail company plans.

"The alternative “service” proposed to replace the staffed ticket offices is not even a pale imitation of what we would lose if these plans proceeded. The Conservative government and rail bosses are treating the public with disdain in trying to shut nearly one thousand staffed ticket offices across England. It’s more of the same incompetence, arrogance, and contempt we’ve all come to expect from this government.”

The consultation received more than 680,000 responses and was extended to September 1 after protests.

During this period, train firms have admitted passengers will be put at risk by anti-social behaviour and crime by the closures, as union leader Mick Lynch claimed people would “not want to travel once the sun’s gone down”.

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Transport minister Mark Harper admitted rail ticket office closures would also lead to job losses, while a number of Conservative MPs have said the “inadequate” technology at train stations would not be able to replace fully trained staff at ticket offices, leaving vulnerable passengers at risk of being unable to seek help.

Maria Caulfield, Conservative MP for Lewes, told SussexWorld she supports the retaining of local ticket offices and hoped residents voices would be listened to.

Ms Caulfield said: “This is a consultation being run by rail operators. I have made clear that I support retaining our ticket offices and it is why I have signed the local petition, encouraged residents to take part in the consultation and lobbied for the consultation to be extended. I hope residents voices will be listened to by the rail companies.”

The replies are being reviewed by the watchdogs Transport Focus and London TravelWatch, which will assess plans for each individual station closure.

The two watchdogs can refer the decision to the transport secretary if they uphold public objections.