Lewes MP, Maria Caulfield, has urged local residents to take part in a consultation by Transport Focus on proposals regarding rail ticket office closures.
The process for train operators to propose any changes to the opening hours of ticket offices or close ticket offices is set out in the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement. The agreement regulates what train operators do regarding fares, ticketing and retailing across the network and requires train operators to put notices at the station advising passengers of any proposals and what any changes could mean for them.
A consultation, led by Transport Focus, can be found at https://www.transportfocus.org.uk/train-station-ticket-office-consultation/
Maria Caulfield MP said “I would urge residents to take part in the consultation to feed in their concerns. I understand from the train operators’ view that the vast majority of tickets, around 90%, are sold away from the ticket offices either online or via ticket machines.
However, there are many people who do not feel able to use ticket machines, apps, or websites to buy tickets. Many people will also want conversations about the best ticket type for them. These people will need to be taken into account by the train operating companies and I would urge anyone who might be impacted by the changes to take part in the consultation before 26th July.”