Evesham Railway Station - fears if ticket office closes

Evesham resident Jenny Law has spoken out about the great loss the closure could cause - not just for the town but for the elderly and disabled.

Rail Delivery Group, representing the country's train operators, announced proposals aimed at modernising customer service, which would see nearly all ticket offices in England shut down, with only the busiest stations maintaining their facilities.

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However, Ms Law said this is making the service inaccessible for some groups of people such as the elderly and the disabled who may find online boooking difficult.

"It is very sad - it is a dwindling away service of a very well-staffed and nice station," she said.

"It is a great loss for the town altogether.

"I think it would be great if the station that focuses so hard on profit and simplifying systems thinks about the customers and their impact on them.

The poster displayed at Evesham Railway Station. (Image: Jenny Law)

"They argue that it is to focus on more people using online services but it should be on how valuable this service is."

Evesham mayor Alan Booth echoed Ms Law's concerns and said the removal of the ticket office would not just be a loss for the town but for the people who use the services.

"I believe it is in the early stages and understand people's fears - it is going to affect everyone.

"I do not think the rail network have thought this through."

In response, Rail Delivery Group said accessibility needs will always be supported, and people can still book assistance two hours in advance via phone or the Passenger Assist app.

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It added that mobile assistance teams will also be set up at stations to help individuals, and cash will continue to be accepted.

A spokesperson for Rail Delivery Group said: “The railway needs to adapt to the way our customers are using the rail services now, and the reality is that the number of tickets being sold in ticket offices has halved since pre-covid, with most customers opting to purchase their ticket online or at Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs).

"The industry will continue to work with accessibility and passenger groups to ensure that no one is left behind.

“We encourage those who wish to participate in the consultation to go to their local train company website or visit Transport Focus or London Travel Watch.”

The consultation in Evesham will end on Wednesday, July 26.

A national petition has been set up against the move, for more detaisl click here.