Campaigners urged people to take advantage after ticket office consultation is extended
Campaigners fighting against plans to close railway ticket offices have urged people to take advantage after a consultation was extended.
The Rail Delivery Group, which announced a consultation on plans to close hundreds of ticket offices across the country earlier this month, said the consultation would now be extended to September 1.
The group had been criticised over the length of the initial consultation – which was only going to last three weeks.
Transport Focus has said that 170,000 responses have been received so far.
Under the proposal West Midlands Railways has said it want to close both Telford Central and Wellington ticket offices.
However, Transport for Wales has pledged to keep its county ticket offices at Ludlow, Shrewsbury and Gobowen, open.
Saturday saw a number of campaigners turn out at Telford Central to voice their concerns about the planned cuts.
Fiona McCleary, a PCS trade union rep and one of the organisers of the demonstration, welcomed the latest extension, and urged people to take advantage.
Speaking on Saturday she said: "Taking away ticket office staff is like removing the last line of defence. De-humanising areas like this spells nothing but trouble."
Regarding the extension, she encouraged people to visit the RMT website, where they can fill in a form to submit their feelings on the proposal.
She said: "It is great news it is being extended and I really think people need to log on and make their views heard."
She said the site has a 'pre-populated email' which takes 'two minutes to complete'.
She added: "We want to see friendly faces, we want to see experts, we want to be supported and I really feel they have the support of the British public.
"But, what we have to do is actually make ourselves heard. It is very well having the sentiment and the support but we need that voice to be heard.
"When it is as simple as sending an e-mail that is something we need to be doing."
