COMMUNITY leaders have joined rail workers on the picket line in the fight against proposed train ticket office closures.

Councillors stood in solidarity with RMT (The Rail, Maritime and Transport union) members outside Whitehaven train station – which is one of the ticket offices earmarked for closure.

The controversial proposal put forward by the railway industry body, the Rail Delivery Group, will see almost all train station ticket offices closed across the country over the next three years.

Mike Hawkins, for Labour, who represents Mirehouse on Cumberland Council said: “Not everybody has got a smartphone. They want people to book online.

“While we were there, it was brought to our attention that an elderly gentleman couldn’t pay for parking because the booking office was closed and he didn’t have a smartphone. How do people like that pay?

“Especially round here, it disadvantages a lot of people. It’s not so bad in cities but we are rural to start with. It’s important to keep them open. The passengers are really upset and angry about it.”

Graham Roberts, who represents the Harras ward on Whitehaven Town Council, said: “I’m appalled by this. I have made my case verbally and in writing to the rail minister, Huw Merriman.

“We are not replete with infrastructure here and we intend to hang on to everything we’ve got. Some older people are not on the internet and can’t afford a smartphone.

“I’m fully supportive of the RMT and I don’t want the staff at Whitehaven to lose their jobs.”

Brian O’Kane, a Whitehaven Town councillor for Whitehaven Central North, said: “We are all concerned that we are losing yet another facility in the town.

“I can thoroughly understand the rationale of people buying tickets online but I think the train station caters for a whole range of different things.

“Our town needs a constant reference point for locals and tourists to draw people into the town. Town council members are really concerned about the situation and hope the Government or legal challenge will force the issue to be scrapped as soon as possible.”

Jacqueline Starr, Rail Delivery Group chief executive, said: “The ways our customers buy tickets has changed and it’s time for the railway to change with them.

“With just 12 per cent of tickets being sold from ticket offices last year, and 99 per cent of those transactions being available on TVMs or online, our proposals would mean more staff on hand on to give face to face help with a much wider range of support, from journey planning, to finding the right ticket and helping those with accessibility needs.

“Our commitment is that we will always treat our staff, who are hugely valued and integral to the experience our customers have on the railway, fairly, with support and extra training to move into new more engaging roles.

“We also understand that our customers have differing needs, which is why the industry widely sought the views of accessibility and passenger groups when creating these proposals.”