Cumbria and Dales ticket offices could be on Government hit-list (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Cumbria and Dales ticket offices could be on Government hit-list

12:46pm Tuesday 6th September 2011 in Settle news By Rachel Ryan

Windermere, Ulverston, Grange-over-Sands, Settle and Appleby are on a 'hit-list' of 675 railway station ticket office that could be closed.

The TSSA rail union says that one in four stations in England and Wales will lose their ticket offices if Transport Secretary Philip Hammond green lights the McNulty Report this autumn.

The North West would be the second worst-affected region - after London and the South East - with a further 114 stations losing their ticket offices.

Gerry Doherty, leader of the TSSA, has called on the Transport Secretary to reject the controversial cutbacks called for by Sir Roy McNulty in his report on cost savings in the industry.

"This is a double whammy for millions of passengers. Last month they were told that fares will rise by 25 per cent over the next three years.

"And they are now set to lose one in four ticket offices.

"Not only are unstaffed stations less secure, tickets bought from machines are usually more expensive."

Mr Hammond welcomed the McNulty Report when it was published in May calling for £1 billion in savings to be made in the taxpayer funded industry.

His detailed response is expected next month when parliament resumes after the summer break.