Cllr Phil Knowles has met with East Midlands Railway in a ‘last ditch’ attempt to save the ticket office at Market Harborough station.

The consultation into the ticket offices around England closes today, 26th July, and Cllr Knowles met to register concerns that the council, locals and rail users had.

Cllr Knowles said: “I told EMR that whilst we appreciate the need they have to save money and against the backcloth of modernisation, there is a real danger of a negative impact on sections of our community. Many will happily use the internet for ordering tickets whilst for others the prospect of no ticket office will serve only to bring trepidation. I made it clear that it would be well received if EMR would seek a more dovetailed approach.

“The EMR representatives were keen to tell me that this is a meaningful consultation and reminded me that final rubber stamp will rest with the Secretary of State. I took the opportunity to point out that the Secretary of State could therefore be seen as a legitimate late lobbying opportunity. Afterall, the ticket office is important to those who are wheelchair dependent, those who have restricted mobility and restricted sight. It is also a key place for customers to explore the best opportunity to look for the cheapest, value for money tickets – particularly important in these times of a cost-of-living crisis.

“EMR assured me that the station will be staffed from 06.00 until 23.00 and confirmed that the staff will be on hand to support customers and assist where needed, but it’s impossible not to see that amidst this change there is a negative impact for some of our community.”

You can have your say on the proposals on the Transport Focus website.