DAVID HEATH WELCOMES NEWS ON TEMPLECOMBE STATION
5.14.00pm GMT Tue 13th Jan 2009
David Heath, MP for Somerton and Frome has welcomed the news that the Secretary of State for Transport has vetoed South West Trains' plans to cut staffing hours at Templecombe Station.
South West Trains had intended to reduce ticket office opening hours at 114 stations across the network, including in many cases over week days, as well as weekends.
A small reduction in ticket office opening hours at Templecombe has been approved by government Ministers, although these reductions are now significantly less than they would have been under South West Trains' original plans.
David Heath has spent a number of weeks campaigning locally on the issue, and had highlighted his concerns regarding the reduction in facilities and services available at Templecombe station should they have been forced to massively reduce both staffing and ticket office opening hours.
Commenting on the issue, David said:
"This is excellent news for Templecombe. If these proposals had gone through, the ticket office would have been closed for half the week, and it would have been difficult or impossible to buy the cheapest tickets.
The plans to reduce staffing levels would also have made it substantially more difficult for disabled or elderly passengers who have difficulties using the steep footbridge from seeking assistance onto the platform.
The planned cuts at Templecombe were totally unacceptable - with the ticket office closed in the afternoon and all weekend. The news that this policy has now been rejected by Ministers is great news for the local area".
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