Rail bosses have bowed to public pressure and decided to extend a consultation into closing ticket offices at railway stations.
Earlier this month, people were given just weeks to give their views on the controversial proposals.
Nationwide, it could lead to the closures of 1,000 ticket offices over the next 12 to 18 months, including those at Penrith, Appleby and Oxenholme.
But on Wednesday, the day the consultation was due to close, the Rail Delivery Group, the membership body for the British rail industry, announced that the consultation would be extended by a further five and half weeks until 1st September.
Jacqueline Starr, chief executive, said in a statement: “Train companies have listened to feedback, and are extending the time available to respond to the consultation on changes to how tickets are sold at stations. Operators are keen to give more people a chance to give their views on the proposals, so they can bring the railway up to date with dramatic shifts in customer buying habits, while supporting all its customers as the railway evolves and adapts.
“While local plans vary, the aim of the proposals is to bring staff out from behind ticket office windows to offer more help for customers buying tickets and navigating stations. At the same time ticket vending machines are being upgraded to offer a wider range of fares, and we have committed that no customer will have to go out of their way to buy a ticket.”
But there are concerns that on-platform staffing hours would be reduced to only a couple of hours per day and may have to hop on trains to serve different stations.
Cumbria Tourism has also urged a rethink.
Jim Walker, president of Cumbria Tourism and involved with Ullswater ‘Steamers’, said: “As a county, we also have a super-aging population who are less likely to engage with smart technology and often prefer to pay in cash.
“A lot of people go to booking offices to ask for information, journey planning, advice and other bits of information, but these inquiries are not necessarily logged anywhere.
“I understand the pressure on the finances, but this is completely the wrong time to do it, when we are trying to actively promote more sustainable ways to get around and get our public transport systems back on track.”
Councillor Neil Hughes, cabinet member for transport on Westmorland and Furness Council, said closures would have a “severe detrimental impact”.
“It will disadvantage those people unable to purchase online tickets, and it will be extremely inconvenient for many with disabilities, particularly those rail users with vision impairments. It would fly in the face of inclusivity principles.”
Tim Farron MP said of this week’s news: “The extension of the consultations are a golden opportunity for us to express what we really think of these daft plans which I encourage people to grasp with both hands.”
Ironically, to take part in the consultation, people are being directed to train operator websites, or www.transportfocus.org.uk/train-station-ticket-office-consultation.
The Herald established that the postal address to write in is Freepost: RTEH-XAGE-BYKZ Transport Focus, PO Box 5594, Southend on Sea, Essex, SS1 9PZ.
