Save railway ticket offices, says MacCleary

Lewes Liberal Democrats have launched a campaign against plans by rail firms and the Department for Transport to close nearly all ticket offices across England. This affects a number of local stations such as Seaford, Newhaven, Lewes, Plumpton, and Polegate and even extends to stations like Eastbourne and Brighton. Other local stations affected in our area include Berwick, Hassocks and Burgess Hill.

Sign the petition to save our ticket offices.

The proposed closure scheme, which aims to shut almost all the remaining 1,007 ticket offices within three years, has prompted widespread concern among passengers and local communities. Liberal Democrats have highlighted how ticket offices serve as essential resources for a diverse range of individuals, including the elderly, disabled, and visitors who rely on public transport. Closing these offices would severely impact accessibility and support for those in need.

James MacCleary, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Lewes, has launched a petition against the changes. James has said that public transport should be evolving to offer better, more accessible options for passengers to encourage use, rather than regressing and taking away essential services.

James MacCleary said:

“To lose all ticket offices in towns like Lewes and Polegate, rural stations like Plumpton, and even larger communities like Brighton and Eastbourne is a huge step backwards for public transport. 

“Like many, I’m concerned this could lead to a slippery slope for less human support for those trying to access the railway. There are people across our communities who need support to access public transport, and these closures run the risk of excluding people from access to basic transport. 

“We need to be encouraging more people onto public transport, not excluding people and making using the railway less appealing. We have a large number of visitors to our communities. Without ticket offices it will be harder for those visitors to seek help at our stations. For these reasons and more, this is a short sighted decision, so I’d encourage local people to join me in showing the Department for Transport and Southern Rail we don’t support this unnecessary change."