A CAMPAIGN to save Taunton Railway Station’s ticket office from closure has been launched by Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate Gideon Amos.

A protest petition has been started and a public meeting is being organised to rally support.

Rail union RMT is also campaigning to save ticket offices with dozens of protests outside stations across the country starting on Thursday (July 13), including in Taunton on Saturday, July 22, at 12 noon.

The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), an industry body representing private railway operators, has announced that up to 1,000 ticket offices will be closed with ticket staff moving out of offices and on to platforms.

The RDG is holding a 21-day consultation period ending on July 26 which can be reached via https://www.transportfocus.org.uk/train-station-ticket-office-consultation.

Mr Amos has been joined by members of Somerset Council, Taunton Town Council, and Travel Watch South West to launch the campaign.

He said he was ‘appalled’ at the possibility that Great Western Railway (GWR) could shut the ticket office in Taunton, where more than a fifth of all tickets were still purchased.

Mr Amos said: “Closure would hit older and less able travellers harder than anyone else, why should they have to roam the station to find staff when we have a newly-restored and handsome ticket hall which works so well.

“We must get the maximum number of responses to the consultation to oppose this closure.

“There is only one reason rail operators across the whole country are proposing this at the same time – it is being driven by the Conservative Ministers running the Department for Transport who just want to downgrade our public services even further than they have over the past 13 years.”

A ‘Save our Ticket Office’ public meeting will be held a day before the RDG consultation ends, at 6.30pm, on Tuesday, July 25, in the Great Western Hotel, next to the station.

Speakers will include Mr Amos, Somerset Council’s transport portfolio holder Cllr Mike Rigby, and David Northey, from Travel Watch South West, who will chair the free event.

Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, so those interested in attending should reserve a seat by emailing [email protected].

The Liberal Democrat protest petition will be sent to Taunton Deane MP Rebecca Pow and to Rail Minister Huw Merriman, and can be signed online at https://www.tdld.co.uk/save-our-railway-ticket-office.

The RMT union is encouraging everybody to take part in the public consultation, so rail companies and the Government understand how much rail passengers value their ticket offices and staff.

RMT is also taking strike action on July 20, 22, and 29 over pay, conditions, and ticket office closures.

General secretary Mick Lynch said: "Our union is taking our campaign to save ticket offices out into every town, city, and village in this country.

"The recent announcements of ticket office closures is a fig leaf for the wholesale de-staffing of stations, including safety-critical train despatch staff, passenger assistance, and other non-ticket office customer service workers.

"Ticket office closures under Schedule 17 means there will be no regulations on staffing levels at stations whatsoever.

"Train operators will then be free to staff or de-staff any station to whatever level they choose.

"Our union and the travelling public do not want a de-humanised railway that will be rife with crime and anti-social behaviour,inaccessible to the most vulnerable.

"We will fight these plans all the way and need the public's support in joining our campaign and taking part in the consultation."