Spalding Station ticket office to remain manned

The ticket office at Spalding Station is set to remain manned after the government urged railway companies to row back on the proposal.

East Midlands Trains, which runs the station, was one of a number in the country that said they would stop having manned offices with most tickets now bought online.

But today (Tuesday, October 31) government quango Transport Focus announced the companies would not go through with the measure.

A total of 120,000 signatures were secured by petitions to force a debate on the proposal in Parliament.
South Holland residents made up the sixth highest location in the country of those who signed.

Coun Jan Whitbourn had led the campaign locally.

She said: “I am delighted with the news, overwhelmed, it has taken so much time, but it was all worth it.

“I just want to thank all the people who signed our petition and got behind this campaign.”

South Holland and the Deepings MP Sir John Hayes had met with transport secretary Mark Harper at Spalding Station and in Parliament.

“I’m really delighted and it just goes to show the value of local campaigning and that it can make a difference.”

Transport secretary Mark Harper said: “The consultation on ticket offices has now ended, with the Government making clear to the rail industry throughout the process that any resulting proposals must meet a high threshold of serving passengers.

“We have engaged with accessibility groups throughout this process and listened carefully to passengers as well as my colleagues in Parliament. The proposals that have resulted from this process do not meet the high thresholds set by Ministers, and so the Government has asked train operators to withdraw their proposals.

“We will continue our work to reform our railways with the expansion of contactless Pay As You Go ticketing, making stations more accessible through our Access for All programme and £350 million funding through our Network North plan to improve accessibility at up to 100 stations.”