THE WEEK IN East Bristol & North East Somerset Issue 806
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8th November 2023
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Rail ticket office closure plan scrapped Plans to close seven West of England rail ticket offices,
huge victory for West of England passengers,
including Keynsham, Temple Meads, Bath Spa and
who delivered their message loud and clear that
Bristol Parkway, have been scrapped by Government
closing all our ticket offices is unacceptable.”
ministers.
Alongside his submission to passenger body
Hailing the u-turn, Metro Mayor Dan Norris said: “This is a
Transport Focus during the consultation, it has been revealed that 2,245 formal objections were made by West of England residents. The plan had been to close all the region’s ticket offices where an estimated 600,000 paper tickets were sold last year.
Metro Mayor Dan Norris with campaigners at Temple Meads in the summer
At Keynsham, there was a proposal to move the single member of staff who sells tickets on
Campaigners at Keynsham Station including Cllr Martin Burton, left
weekday mornings to work on both platforms.
Mr Norris said: “Every proposal to modernise our railways
The Mayor had raised his opposition to the ticket office
needs passengers at its heart. We must do everything possible
closures with ministers, including in person with the Rail
to encourage more people onto trains here in the West, and
Minister during the summer, and met campaigners against the
across the country. Never again should ministers support a
proposals.
Also in this week’s issue
Communities under threat in South Glos. Local Plan? . . . page 3
Continued on page 3
New Somerdale building gets underway . . . page 7
Keynsham Station special supplement . . . pages 9 to 16
Remembrance commemorations round-up . . . page 18