Protests over plans for cuts at rail ticket offices

Protests were taking place outside train stations in the West Midlands today against proposed cuts to ticket offices.

Rail company London Midland is proposing to close or scale back opening hours at 86 of its stations. A decision has to be made by the Government.

Campaigners from Action for Rail were handing out leaflets at Stourbridge Junction, Birmingham New Street and Birmingham Snow Hill, too.

Coseley, Cradley Heath, Dudley Port, Kidderminster, Langley Green, Lichfield City, Lichfield Trent Valley, Perry Barr, Rowley Regis, Sandwell & Dudley, Smethwick Galton Bridge, Smethwick Rolfe Street, Stourbridge Town, Tame Bridge Parkway, The Hawthorns, Tipton and Walsall also face reduced opening hours.

Rail unions say that the Government's recent fares and ticketing consultation included hints that ticket office closures would be inevitable as part of its wider plans for cost-cutting.

Unions have also claimed that London Midland stands to make an additional £1.25m profit as a result of ticket office changes, while continuing to receive subsidy from the taxpayer of over £100m a year. Last year, London Midland increased fares by seven per cent for many of its passengers.

Mike Dalton, spokesman for London Midland, said: "The number of tickets being bought at ticket offices is in steady decline.

"There are ticket offices that sell very few tickets and so it makes no commercial sense to have our people working at these times."

He added there had been wide consultation on proposals.