Campaign to save Taunton's railway station ticket office

A campaign to save the ticket office at Taunton Railway Station from closure has been launched by Gideon Amos, the local Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate.

A protest petition has been started and a public meeting has been organised to rally support.

The Rail Delivery Group, an industry body representing private railway operators, confirmed last Wednesday that up to 1,000 offices will be closed and announced a 21-day consultation period. It says ticket staff would move out of offices and on to platforms.

Mr Amos, Parliamentary Candidate for Taunton & Wellington, has been joined by members of Somerset Council, Taunton Town Council and Travel Watch South West to launch the campaign.

He said he was appalled at the possibility that Great Western Railway (GWR) could shut the ticket office at Taunton where over a fifth of all tickets are still purchase.

“Closure would hit older and less able travellers harder than anyone else – why should they have to roam the station to find staff when we have a newly restored and handsome ticket hall which works so well!

“We must get the maximum number of responses to the consultation to oppose this closure so please sign the petition now.

“There’s only one reason rail operators across the whole country are proposing this at the same time – it’s being driven by the Conservative ministers running the Department for Transport who just want to downgrade our public services even further than they have over the past 13 years”.

A ‘Save our Ticket Office’ public meeting has been set up for 6.30pm on Tuesday, July 25th, at the Great Western Hotel, close to the station.

Speakers will include Mr Amos, Cllr Mike Rigby (Lead Member for Transport and Digital on Somerset Council) and David Northey (Travel Watch South West), who will chair the free event.

Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis so people are urged to reserve their seat by emailing tdldevents@gmail.com as soon as possible.

You can sign the protest petition – which will go to Taunton Deane MP, Rebecca Pow, and Rail Minister, Huw Merriman MP – via this link: https://www.tdld.co.uk/save-our-railway-ticket-office

The public consultation on the proposals runs until July 26th and can be reached via this link: https://www.transportfocus.org.uk/train-station-ticket-office-consultation/