MP PLEDGES TO FIGHT SOUTH WEST TRAINS TICKET OFFICE CUTS

1.20.30pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 8th Jul 2008

Local MP Susan Kramer has reacted with anger at the news that South West trains is proposing to reduce opening hours and ticket office staffing at rail stations across Richmond Park constituency.

South West trains is proposing cutting opening hours at ticket offices at Barnes, Mortlake and New Malden stations, and reducing the number of ticket office windows at Richmond and Kingston stations.

Susan Kramer MP commented:

"Lines are already long at peak times at many train stations across the constituency, so to reduce ticket office opening times and staffing is madness."

"While ticket machines have been an improvement, they are not perfect, often running out of tickets or failing. When making complicated journeys, using a machine to buy your ticket is often impossible and online booking can also prove difficult."

"Will passengers still be able to get the off-peak fares and saver discounts they are entitled to if they are not able to speak to ticket office staff when buying their tickets?"

"There is simply still a lot of need for face to face contact between ticket office staff and customers."

"These proposals will have a big collective impact on passengers across the constituency, potentially meaning longer waiting times and queues at train stations."

"Simply putting up a poster in affected stations is no form of consultation, passengers' views need to be sought on these cuts."

Stations in Richmond Park constituency that are set to have ticket office opening hours reduced or closed altogether under the proposals are as follows:

Barnes Station:

Monday to Friday - cut by 30 minutes

Saturday - opening hours cut by 6.5 hours

Sunday - ticket office to be closed

Mortlake Station:

Saturday - opening hours cut by 2 hours.

Sunday - opening hours cut by 3.5 hours

New Malden

Sunday - opening hours cut by 2.5 hours

Richmond and Kingston stations are also set to have the number of ticket office windows reduced.