Thousands take part in consultation to close ticket offices

A consultation into plans to close hundreds of ticket offices has closed today with over 500,000 responses gathered.

West of England mayor Dan Norris said residents he has met have made their opposition to the proposals clear.

He is urging ministers to “think again” and drop the ill-thought-through plans.

Ministers are backing proposals put forward by train operators to close seven ticket offices in the region, including at Temple Meads and Bath Spa.

An estimated 600,000 paper tickets were sold last year across the West of England region.

Throwing down the gauntlet, the mayor warned this was just the beginning and the campaign to stop the mass ticket office cull would not “go away”.

Dan Norris said: “These botched plans are not fit for purpose. But ministers have made it clear they want to rush them through regardless, whatever the consequences for West of England locals.

“I urge the prime minister to listen to the message delivered loud and clear by residents and dump these rotten proposals today.

“Because we must do everything possible to encourage more people onto trains here in the West, and across the country, so why would anyone want to put up barriers which makes that job so much harder?”

Mayor Norris last month met the Rail Minister to raise his opposition to the Government’s plans, and campaigners against the proposals in Bristol.