Morecambe railway station ticket office is a "lifeline" for some residents and should not be allowed to close, say campaigners.
Councillors spoke out against proposals to shut the ticket office and instead employ a 'Journey Maker' member of staff to help people travelling via train from Morecambe.
Morecambe Town Council has unanimously agreed to write to Mark Harper, Secretary of State for Transport, and rail bosses to protest against the plans.
"Morecambe is a beautiful place to live and visit," said Councillor Margaret Pattison, speaking at a council meeting on Thursday.
"We need to encourage visitors. Some ticket offices are a lifeline for local residents.
"One resident contacted me. She doesn't have a smartphone and only uses cash. If we lose our ticket office, she says she will not travel. Another resident who has a mobility issue is very anxious about using the ticket office without staff."
Her Labour colleague Councillor David Whitaker (pictured below), who proposed a motion calling for the town council to resist the proposals, said: "Residents are very concerned. Think about the staff who might be fearing for their jobs or redeployed to an area of work outside their comfort zone."
A public consultation on the future of ticket retailing across the UK is under way.
Nearly all ticket offices could be shut, in the proposals by rail companies, with only the busiest stations left with open person-operated ticket facilities and the number of job cuts are unknown.
Instead, more staff will be available in public areas of stations to provide help to customers.
The proposal is that changes are phased in over three years.
Morecambe ticket office is currently open Monday to Saturday from 7.45am to 2.45pm.
The proposals would be to close the office and instead employ a 'Journey Maker' from 9.30am to 1pm Monday to Saturday.
A Northern spokesperson said: "As part of our proposed changes to ticket offices, we will be removing all existing ticket office roles. Instead we will bring our ticket office colleagues into new Journey Maker roles to help customers around the station.
"Journey Makers will be based at stations, although no longer within ticket offices. They’ll be available in other areas of the station to help customers face to face with a wide range of needs. This includes supporting people who need extra help travelling through our stations and onto trains."
Meanwhile, Councillor Jim Grisenthwaite, mayor of Carnforth, has also spoken out about the proposals.
Carnforth railway station lost its ticket office two years ago and Councillor Grisenthwaite said this "touched a raw nerve" with the town's residents.
"I think the truism 'you only miss something when it’s gone' is very apt in this case as the booking office not only sold rail tickets but provided travellers with useful advice about planning onward journeys sensibly and economically, helped tourists and visitors to the area and generally presented a friendly, welcoming face to those not only using the station and its services but also the local shops and businesses in the town," he said.
"It's my opinion that since the closure of the booking office the station is soulless despite the very best efforts of those businesses that continue to operate there.
"Ticketing machines for rail users and car parking are all very well and undoubtedly cheaper to operate, but they are no substitute for a friendly face and a knowledgeable member of staff.
"I urge all rail users to take note of Carnforth’s experience. It’s a salutary lesson and should serve as a warning of what many other communities can expect if these threatened closures go ahead."
The Department for Transport has said the proposals were not about cutting jobs, but about modernising the railway to make sure the sector survived.
Northern Trains announced a public consultation for station ticket offices including Morecambe, while Avanti West Coast announced a consultation for its stations including Lancaster.
Lancaster ticket office is currently open from 5.15am to 7.45pm Monday to Saturday and 9.30am to 8pm on Sunday.
Under the proposals the office would close, but 'ticketing support' would still be available from 7.30am to 4.15pm Monday to Saturday, and 9am to 5pm on Sunday.
Andy Mellors, managing director of Avanti West Coast, said: “It is important for the rail industry to change the way it retails tickets as customer behaviour has evolved over the last three decades.
“Our proposals would mean more staff on hand to give face-to-face help with a much wider range of needs, from journey planning, to finding the right ticket and helping those with accessibility needs.
“Our commitment is that we will always treat our people fairly, with support and extra training to move in to new and varied roles with a number of responsibilities without compromising on the safety of them or our customers.
“We also understand that our customers have differing needs which is why we will be consulting with accessibility groups on this consultation.”
Jacqueline Starr, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) which represents train companies, said: "The ways our customers buy tickets has changed and it's time for the railway to change with them."
Only 12 per cent of tickets were sold at ticket offices last year, she said, with the rest bought online or from vending machines.
You can have your say on the proposed Morecambe ticket office closure at the Northern website, and on the Lancaster proposed closure at the Avanti West Coast website. The Avanti consultation closes this Wednesday, July 26 and the Northern consultation closes on Friday, July 28.
Read more: Campaign launched to save under-threat Morecambe railway station ticket office - Beyond Radio
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