People in Camborne are being urged to fight plans to close railway stations' ticket offices across the country including their own.

Camborne Railway Ticket Office is just one of hundreds of ticket offices set to close across Cornwall and the rest of England. 

Just under a thousand train station ticket offices are set to be shut across England, which the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) says is aimed at modernising customer service.

According to the RDG, the share of train tickets purchased from station offices has dramatically decreased from 85% in 1995 to just 12% today.

As part of the consultations on the ticket office closures, train companies across England will engage with passengers to gather their input.

The RDG also highlighted alternative methods of payment, such as tapping contactless cards on barriers, using self-service machines, or purchasing tickets from staff on station concourses or trains when possible.

Offices are proposed to close between October this year and June 2024 at Bodmin Parkway, Camborne, Liskeard, Par, Redruth, St Austell and St Erth, with Penzance and Truro to follow between September and December 2024, although ticket sales will be reduced at windows at those stations from this October. The rest of Cornwall’s stations no longer have ticket offices.

Paul White, Cornwall Councillor for Camborne Trelowarren, which includes including Camborne railway station, is urging people in the town to register their objection.

He said during the last couple of weeks he had been to Camborne Railway station on different days and times and met and spoke to a large number of paying travellers who used the ticket office. Not only for paying but also had general enquiries regarding their journeys as ticket offices are earmarked to close throughout the Country following the launch of a public consultation.

He said : "Ticket offices are a vital service for some customers to ensure the journey is efficient and given appropriate information and not only for purchasing a ticket but an enquiry point where people can sort out days of travel, book seat reservations, routes, possible station changes, pricing and renew railcards.

"To close this service would be a severe obstacle to certain passenger groups especially the disabled, the elderly and other vulnerable passengers .

"Not all passengers are able to cope with modern day technology and need help which is currently available at busy railway stations."

He said government statistics nationally say over 80% of passengers now use technology for ticketing but is concened about the remaining vulnerable 20%.

He said he had been told that tickets sold at the Camborne ticket office was 19,353 for the financial year 2022/23.

"I think if the proposal to close these ticket offices will need second thoughts by the government as passenger numbers may reduce and some people may even risk getting on a train without a ticket and become victims of revenue ticket inspectors. We are asking everyone to use public transport over private cars if possible and they want to close these ticket offices. It's madness.

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"I am calling on everyone to back the campaign and to fight these absolutely ludicrous plans. So please take part in the survey and help save the ticket offices."

A spokesperson for GWR said: “Digital tickets have made it easier and faster for customers to buy and manage tickets online, which means fewer people than ever are using ticket offices. With 85 per cent of ticket sales taking place outside a ticket office on the GWR network, we think it makes sense to put our people where they can be most help to customers.

“This consultation is designed to allow the public to test and examine our proposals, and make sure our plans are compliant with the safeguards put in place at privatisation so that the needs of customers will still be met.”

For details of the plans for each station affected and details of how to take part in the consultation through Transport Focus go to www.GWR.com/haveyoursay.