Chris Loder, MP for West Dorset, has forced South Western Railway to rethink its plans to slash ticket office staffing hours. It follows a sustained campaign by the local MP to get the train operator to rethink the impact such changes would have on local stations, including at Dorchester South and Sherborne. Earlier this month, the MP led a Westminster Hall debate to scrutinise the proposed reforms outlined by SWR. The local MP said:
“This decision by SWR signals the considerable groundswell of opinion stacked against the train operator’s proposed reforms to ticket offices. Slashing ticket office staffing hours will have an adverse impact on the most vulnerable, including those with accessibility issues. I’m pleased that SWR will rethink its proposals, and I’ll be pushing for the complete abandonment of their plans and an apology for continued disdain and ignorance to the people of West Dorset.”
