Beeston: Ticket office closure 'attack on public service'

Plans to close the ticket office at a Nottinghamshire station are an "attack on public service", a councillor said.

Proposals to close hundreds of offices across England were put forward by train companies last month, with a consultation extended to 1 September.

Beeston station, which is run by East Midlands Railway (EMR), is the only ticketed office in Broxtowe.

Greg Marshall, deputy leader of Broxtowe Borough Council, said the move "will have an impact on people".

"The proposals exclude swathes of society in an attempt to squeeze profits," he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"There are safety issues for women travelling late at night or in the morning.

"The staff offer security to people, they are helpful, they give you the best options and advice on tickets."

Trish Roberts-Thomson, the chairman of Friends of Beeston Station, said she had "mixed views" about the plans.

"The reality is that not enough people buy tickets at the office," she said.

"The other point of view it is a bit of a blow to the sense of security and safety at the station.

"Given all the work we've done to upgrade the station, we think it would be a difficult step to support until we know more."

An EMR spokesperson said the proposed changes aim "to bring railway staff closer to customers, better match demand with resources and ensure long term sustainability for the future".

They said: "The proposals would help bring station retailing up-to-date from the mid 90s, when the rules on how to sell tickets were set and before the invention of the smartphone.

"Back then, over 80% of all tickets were sold at ticket offices, compared to just 12% nationally and less than 5% at EMR stations on average today," they said.

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