Local MP Alan Mak has written to Transport Focus, a consultative body representing national railway operators, to voice his opposition to the closure of ticket offices at stations in the Havant Constituency.
The Rail Delivery Group, on behalf of train companies, propose scaling back ticket offices across the country. Two major changes are proposed. The first of these was to move from having a physical ticket office to a ‘roving ticket assistant’, who would be able to sell tickets to passengers from a portable device, as well as offer assistance. The roving ticket assistant would also be able to accept cash payments. The second major change would be an overall reduction in the hours that remaining ticket offices and roving ticket officers would be on hand to support customers.
Opposing the changes, Alan Mak MP wrote in his letter to South Western Railway: “Railways make up the backbone of the UK’s public transport system. By retaining a physical ticket office at Havant Station, you can protect this service for vulnerable people in a key part of your network.”
There are four railway stations in the Havant Constituency – Havant, Bedhampton, Emsworth and Warblington. The latter two come under the management of Southern Railway, a subsidiary of Govia Thameslink Railway, while Havant and Bedhampton are managed by South Western Railway.
Local MP Alan Mak wrote to both SWR and GTR to oppose the closure of ticket offices and/or the reduction of hours at all four stations in his Constituency.
Commenting, Local MP Alan Mak said: “I believe in keeping our railways cost effective, as this will enable us to keep rail fares as affordable as possible. This acknowledged, I am strongly of the view these savings should not come at the expense of our most vulnerable passengers. I am therefore opposing the closure of ticket offices or the reduction of staffing hours at all stations across the Havant Constituency, ensuring that customers who experience difficulty in using ticket machines and online payments are still able to travel freely.”
