U-turn on closures welcomed

RAIL user groups in the Henley area have welcomed the U-turn on station ticket office closures.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper has told train operators to scrap the plans, which were designed to save money.

The proposals had been widely criticised by passengers and disability groups, who feared it would make travelling by rail harder or even inaccessible to many.

Great Western Railway passengers would have had to use automated machines or their phones and computers to buy tickets. Office staff would have been moved on to the platforms to help passengers and deal with machine issues.

Neil Gunnell, who chairs the Henley Rail User Group, said: “The proposals were too much too soon and the scale was too great.

“For passengers who pay with cash and, potentially, disabled people, it has to be a good thing. It’s a good thing, too, for elderly people and people who have never or rarely travelled.”

But he added: “These proposals may have been withdrawn but the rail companies want to save money, so what happens next?

“Part of the proposals was for staff to be there to help people and that has been withdrawn. They may find other ways to save money and there are risks.

“In Henley, we had three years without a ticket office.

“We have a fantastic ticket officer called Tom and we are very grateful for him but people have coped without.”

John Boler, who chairs the Mobility Issues Group for Goring and Streatley, which works to improve accessibility for people with disabilities, said: “We’re delighted with the change of mind by the government. It was always driven by the government anyway.

“It’s excellent news, especially for the elderly and disabled people.

“This has delivered everything we asked for but who knows for how long? I have a feeling that the railways will now be looking for other ways to save money.”

Phillip Meadowcroft, chairman of the Wargrave Rail User Group, said: “There was no hope of them winning in the context of the charge as there was no evidence of the benefits. The devil is in the details.”

John Ellis, lead councillor for transport at Reading Borough Council, said: “I’m sure the news will be welcomed by many rail passengers.

“The council objected to the proposed closures because it had significant concerns about the effect it would have had on travellers with a disability, or who are visually impaired and may not be able to use online booking or ticket machines.

“Ticket offices provide a fixed point of contact for passengers who need advice and help from knowledgeable staff and to lose them would have made using the railway less inviting and less accessible.

“We are pleased that our voice and the voices of hundreds of thousands of people who objected to this retrograde step have been heard and listened to.”

Mr Harper said the Government had made it clear to the rail industry throughout the process that any proposals “must meet a high threshold of serving passengers”.

A GWR spokesman said: “Our proposals were designed to balance the need to improve the experience for all our customers and reduce the cost of the industry to the taxpayer.

“We developed our plans further during the consultation process.

“However, we recognise passenger bodies have unresolved concerns in some areas that would require national policy decisions.

“We will now take some time to work with the Department for Transport to understand the next steps.”

• What do you think? Write to: Letters, Henley Standard, Caxton House, 1 Station Road, Henley or email [email protected]