Andrew Murrison had registered his view on nationwide plans to close train ticket offices except in large stations. In his response he said;
'In response to the consultation on ticket offices I would offer the following as a South West MP and regular service user.
I note the relatively small number of tickets now sold from kiosks but equally that elderly and vulnerable customers often feel more comfortable making their purchasers in this way. Services should in my view be designed to make life easier for them and operators need to satisfy themselves and the public that this would be the case in carrying forward any changes.
If the changes proposed bring staff out from behind glass screens so that they are more accessible to the traveling public, they would have some merit. However, simply reducing staff availability would not be helpful. If ticket office staff are placed in front of the screen, they would have to be positioned accessibly and be readily identifiable to customers. It would be no good if people arriving to catch a train had to spend time seeking out a staff member in order to buy a ticket.
In terms of the efficient use of staff, operators may wish to examine the utility of having employees onboard checking tickets that have often been bought from other railway employees just moments before in the station. It is difficult to see how this optimizes the service available to customers or contains costs that ultimately are reflected in the ticket price.'
Andrew has Trowbridge, Westbury, Warminster and Tisbury stations in his constituency.