Brentford Rail Ticket Office Hours Shorten

6.30-10.30am weekday openings

South West Trains revealed yesterday a plan to only open the office at Brentford from 6.30am to 10.30am Monday to Friday - rather than for almost seven hours each weekday as it currently does - had been approved.

South West Trains had wanted to make cuts in its ticket office hours at 114 stations across the south of England.

However, the government rejected proposals to reduce hours at offices during times when on average 12 or more tickets are issued hourly.

Passengers will be able to buy tickets from machines when the offices are closed.

Transport Minister Andrew Adonis said: "We have acted to protect passengers from unacceptable cuts, ensuring that tickets continue to be easily available and that ticket offices are staffed during busy periods.

"We have also sought an assurance from South West Trains that, where ticket office hours are reduced in periods of very low demand, passengers can still buy a wide range of tickets."

A spokesperson for South West Trains said: "We are obviously disappointed... as we believe [our proposals] made good commercial sense and reflected the way retailing is changing."

No date has been set for the change in opening hours.

January 21, 2009