South Western Railway and Great Western Rail are currently in the process of consulting the public on proposals to change the manner in which tickets are sold at stations and how these stations will be staffed in Surrey Heath.
These changes at all six stations within the Parliamentary constituency - Ash, Ash Vale, Bagshot, Camberley, Frimley, and North Camp - will see a reduction in the staffing hours, and for several of the stations, they will not be manned at all on at least two days in the week.
Our local councillors have been contacted recently by residents who are particularly concerned over these proposals, as it is particularly clear that the service provided by ticket office staff are essential for some of our more vulnerable residents here in Surrey Heath, and the removal of these services may have the effect of marginalising these groups further.
Whilst SWR and GWR have stated that there has been a significant reduction in the usage of ticket offices by customers in the past decade with a move towards smart media tickets, this does not address the fact that many rely on the in-person assistance that station staff are able to provide, especially for those that require mobility support.
Train stations at Ash, Bagshot and Frimley are currently proposed to have no staff present on Fridays and Saturdays during the week, and Ash Vale and Camberley will see no staff present at the stations on Mondays and Sundays.
Commenting, Michael Gove MP said:
"Several constituents have been in touch with me about South Western Railway’s public consultation on station change proposals, which includes potential changes to the way tickets are sold and customer service is provided.
"The changes would mean the closure of all ticket offices, which I know may be alarming for some so please do visit the following website to find more information, including how to respond to the consultation which closes on Wednesday 26th July."
Details on these proposed changes and how to have your say can be found here:
South Western Railway - southwesternrailway.com/station-change-proposal
Great Western Rail - gwr.com/haveyoursay
