CALLS have been made to rail operators to keep Basingstoke station’s ticket office open, following a consultation about closing ticket offices across the South Western Railway and Great Western Railway networks.

In their consultation response, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council leader Cllr Paul Harvey and co-leader Cllr Gavin James said that this change would make the rail network inaccessible to many.

Cllr Harvey said: “This feels like another decision to dehumanise the rail network, like previous proposals to cut back on guards or other personnel. As we try to combat climate change, we need railways to provide good quality customer service to attract more people out of their cars and onto trains.

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“Ticket offices are particularly important for those passengers who are visually impaired or who have dyslexia or other neurodivergent conditions. These proposals mean they would potentially have to rely on a member of staff approaching them.”

They also raise concerns that, in the transition away from more traditional methods, the specific requirements of some disadvantaged people may no longer be catered for, resulting in them becoming marginalised or even ignored.

Basingstoke is classified as a category one station in the proposal with 24-hour staffing, although the council leaders made the point that it is not clear how many staff would be available at all times or what the minimal level of visible staffing would be.

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Cllr James said: “The need to modernise and respond to changing passenger demands and usage patterns is understood, but it is important not to ignore the needs of people who may be unfamiliar with technology or who need more specialist assistance."

The response to the consultation acknowledged that passenger, accessibility and safety groups are being consulted and equality impact assessments are being conducted but the council leaders said that it is not clear how outcomes from this work will be integrated into the proposals.

The Rail Delivery Group has said that just 12 per cent of rail tickets are sold at ticket offices, compared to 82 per cent in the mid-1990s. 

Jacqueline Starr, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, said: “While local plans vary, the aim of the proposals is to bring staff out from behind ticket office windows to offer more help for customers buying tickets and navigating stations. At the same time ticket vending machines are being upgraded to offer a wider range of fares, and we have committed that no customer will have to go out of their way to buy a ticket.”