Charlbury station
| Brian Murray |
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Thu 10 Aug 2023, 16:34 Now that the demand for Wilderness tickets is not dominating the Forum, may I bring the subject of Rail Ticket Office closures and the threat to customer service back to the fore. You will almost certainly be aware of plans driven by the Rail Delivery Group and the Department for Transport to close almost 1,000 station ticket offices throughout the country. Eight ticket offices on the Cotswolds and Malvern Line between Hereford and Oxford will close completely withing two years. In addition to Charlbury, those run by GWR at Evesham, Moreton-in-Marsh and Kingham will close, also at the new Worcestershire Parkway station. GWR are proposing that they be closed by June 2024 although the stations will supposedly still be staffed in accordance with the usual booking office hours. The Cotswold Line Promotion Group has already objected to the proposals - and has also written to all 10 MPs on the Cotswold Line – as well as objecting to the minimal three week duration of the consultation process. This latter battle has already been won through public pressure, with the consultation period now extended - but only until midnight on Friday September 1st. That leaves only three weeks to get these ill-conceived and damaging proposals thrown out completely. If you have yet to make your objections known, please do so now by emailing TicketOffice.GWR@transportfocus.org.uk and if you use Chiltern from Oxford Parkway you can send your comments to TicketOffice.Chiltern@transportfocus.org.uk Alternatively, you can send your views to; the rail watchdog body Transport Focus at FREEPOST RTEH-XAGE-BYKZ, PO Box 5594, Southend on Sea, SS1 9 PZ. In your message please stress such things as: • Loss of the important ‘first point of contact’ at stations • Lack of ability for those who require assistance to simply ‘turn up and travel’ • Unlikely to be able to be given advice regarding best possible routes and fares due to the present complex and confusing system You are also urged to sign up ASAP to the online petition calling for a House of Commons debate on an issue which crosses party lines. The petition already has more than 70,000 signatures but needs another 30,000 to force a full debate in the House. Please sign this petition on: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/636542 Please also encourage your family, friends and neighbours to make their concerns known too. |