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South West Trains: Tickets

Volume 480: debated on Wednesday 8 October 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it her policy to oppose the plans by South West Trains to reduce ticket office opening hours at 114 stations, following the August 2008 report from Passenger Focus; and if he will make a statement. (223763)

The procedures for making changes to ticket office opening hours are set down in the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement (TSA). The TSA permits operators to make changes to the opening hours of their ticket offices as long as the appropriate specified criteria are met.

If objections are raised and not resolved, the TSA provides for an arbitration process to be followed. This can include referral by the train operating company to the Secretary of State for Transport for a decision. It would therefore be inappropriate for the Secretary of State to comment on the proposed changes at this stage.