Anger over plans to close ticket office at Market Harborough Railway Station

The ticket office at Market Harborough Railway Station is set to close.

Instead, people will be asked to use apps or self-service machines to buy tickets.

A plan was unveiled earlier this week by the government to bring forward a proposal from the Rail Delivery Group, a body which represents private railway operators, to close up to 1,000 offices nationally.

Market Harborough is among five from Leicestershire named on the list of potential ticket office closures - the others being East Midlands Parkway, Loughborough, Melton Mowbray and Hinckley.

EMR said that on average, “less than five per cent of all tickets sold for its trains are bought at ticket offices”, as people instead opted to use self-service machines or purchase them online. This figure was more than 80 per cent in the mid 1990s, according to the train company.

Steve Jones, chairman of Harborough Rail Users group, said the organisation recognised that the “retail world is changing toward a cashless society”, but that the proposal was “worrying” and a “sweeping change” that might have wider impacts on the rail service. He said: “It is obviously a cost-cutting method, and what we are concerned about is the implications of closing the office.

“A lot of people, particularly in a place like Market Harborough, are elderly and they are the sort of people that struggle with online purchasing and using mobile phone apps. A lot of the self-service machines do not take cash, for understandable reasons, but not all people use their bank accounts to pay for things.

“The fare structure of the British railway system is also so complicated, and talking to people at the ticket office helps manoeuvre this, to make sure you get the right ticket, the best value one, getting the ticket that is actually valid for that train on that day. People want to talk to people. And not all the self-service machines offer the full range.” Mr Jones added that the railway “should be there for everybody”.

The proposal to close ticket offices has been met with a lot of criticism nationally. Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT union, said it would be “catastrophic for the elderly, disabled and vulnerable passengers”.

Staff at the affected stations would move into “customer help roles” on station platforms and concourses, according to EMR. The company said the move would offer “more face-to-face support” across the network.

Jac Starr, CEO of the Rail Delivery Group, said: “The ways our customers buy tickets have changed and it’s time for the railway to change with them. Our proposals would mean more staff on hand on to give face-to-face help with a much wider range of needs, from journey planning, to finding the right ticket and helping those with accessibility needs.

“Our commitment is that we will always treat our staff, who are hugely valued, fairly, with support and extra training to move in to new, rewarding and varied roles and we will never compromise on safety."

The three-week consultation into the proposed closures is live now. It closes on Wednesday, July 26. People can submit feedback by emailing their views to [email protected]