Railway station ticket office closures: councillor urges Mid Sussex residents to respond to consultation as deadline looms

Mid Sussex District Councillor Alison Bennett (Hurstpierpoint) said: “It is concerning that rail users are being consulted with just three weeks’ notice before the consultation closes.”

She urged passengers to respond to the consultation before the deadline of Wednesday, July 26.

Transport watchdogs London TravelWatch and Transport Focus launched public consultations on July 5 on behalf of rail operators across the country, including Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) ‘to consider how tickets are sold and to improve customer service in the future’. GTR operates Southern, Thameslink, Gatwick Express and Great Northern services. People can have their say at www.transportfocus.org.uk/ticket-office-consultation.

Ticket offices at Balcombe, Burgess Hill, East Grinstead, Hassocks, Haywards Heath, and Wivelsfield stations are among around 1,000 across the network that could be shut. The full list of proposed changes can be found at www.thameslinkrailway.com/about-us/our-commitments/public-consultation.

Councillor Bennett said: “I believe our ticket offices provide a vital service to residents across Mid Sussex. Having a clearly sign-posted place in these stations for people with ticket enquiries provides certainty and confidence for customers who may struggle to otherwise locate station staff and feel more confident knowing that a station will be staffed.”

She said that not all residents are able to use station ticket machines or have the ability to book a ticket in advance.

Councillor Bennett continued: “Complicated journeys involving connections are likely to require human assistance to ensure customers purchase the most appropriate and cheapest tickets, and do not incur penalties from mis-booked tickets.”

She added that the proposal of replacing ticket office staff with on-station ticket assistance hours could mean that people are unable to buy a ticket if a machine is not working. She said she is concerned that many stations could eventually become unstaffed.

She said: “I am concerned the closures will disproportionately affect elderly and disabled residents in Mid Sussex – as well as those with poor literacy and IT skills. Clearly there are also possible implications for current station staff as there is no guarantee staff hours will be maintained. Rail travel is one of the most environmentally friendly forms of transport available and we should do all we can to encourage rail use.”