Plans to close Cheddington station ticket office slammed by Lib Dems' Corry Cashman

Proposals to permanently close Cheddington station's ticket office in June have been strongly criticised by Aylesbury Vale District Councillor Corry Cashman. At present the office is open during weekday morning peak hours.

Councillor Cashman said: "Only last year a considerable amount of money was spent on refurbishing the ticket office building, which also contains the station's toilets. In June this will all be closed. Also the, already, very limited assistance to disabled travellers will be further reduced.

"A station without even a minimal staff presence becomes a ghost station. CCTV and telephone help points are not the answers to passengers' concerns about safety and security.

"The train company, London Midland, are legally required to consult with the public and with stakeholders on these proposals. However it has not, to my knowledge, contacted any of the parish councils, residents' associations, district councillors or county councillors in the Cheddington area, even though the consultation finishes on 22nd March.

"The Great Brickhill, Wing and Ivinghoe Local Area forum (a group of 14 local parish councils) which has forged useful links with LM over the past couple of years has also been ignored."

Councillor Cashman called on LM to reconsider their proposal. He also questioned the use of a consultation process which failed to involve the local stakeholders. He urged people to let LM know what they felt about these proposals.

The situation is that LM proposes to close Cheddington station Booking Office in June 2011. The proposal is out to public consultation.

This independent consultation ends on 22 March and all comments should be sent to:
Passenger Focus
Freepost (RRRE-ETTC-LEET)
PO Box 4257
Manchester, M60 3AR
or email: advice@passengerfocus.org.uk
More details of these proposals can be viewed at: www.londonmidland.com/news/latest-news/london-midland-proposes-changes-to-ticket-office-opening-hours/

Relevant points:

Cheddington station is the only London Midland station in the South East commuter area to lose its booking office under these proposals. The other eight booking offices proposed for closure are in the Birmingham area.

The closure is proposed despite last year's refurbishment of the booking office building.

The toilets will be permanently closed.

CCTV and telephone "Help points" at the station are LM's response to concerns about passenger safety and security.

Monthly and Annual season tickets will not be available at the station (the ticket machines cannot issue them)

It is claimed that assisted travellers will be helped by senior conductors and can use the "Help points" on the station: but it is not stated how this will work in practice. Arrangements, for assistance, can also be made in advance.

LM claim that this is not a cost cutting exercise. They claim that in two of their 86 stations (Tring and Hemel Hempstead) booking office opening hours will actually increase. This is correct in the case of Tring where the booking office will be open an extra one hour and fifty minutes a week. In the case of Hemel Hempstead the claim is open to challenge as the weekly opening hours would appear, under the proposals, to be reduced from 96 hours a week to 94.

Published & Promoted by Mrs EM Bell on behalf of David Vick

(Liberal Democrats), Reform House, 6 Castle Street, Aylesbury, Bucks HP20 2RE.