Chichester council leader writes to Secretary of State for Transport to oppose railway ticket office closures

And Southern Railway will be invited to send a representative to meet with members of the scrutiny committee to discuss the planned closures and how they will impact passengers and staff at Chichester, Bosham, and Southbourne stations.

During a meeting of the full council on Tuesday (September 26), members supported a motion from James Vivian (Lib Dem, Chichester Central) which called for action to be taken.

Speaking of the plans to close up to 1,000 ticket offices over the next three years, Mr Vivian said: “Ticket offices at Chichester railway station are a local lifeline for residents without access to the internet or left behind by the pace of technological change.

“In Central ward, hundreds of elderly residents, many of whom live in retirement homes or assisted living, depend on staff members with a friendly face to access local services.

“Following the office closures, there is no guarantee that these residents would get the help that they need.”