Station travel centre blow (From Thisisdorset)

Station travel centre blow

9:40am Saturday 8th September 2007 in

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CAMPAIGNERS have reacted with dismay after hearing Weymouth railway station may lose its travel centre.

Station owner South West Trains is considering the move because it says more passengers are using the Internet and telephone to buy tickets.

But a rail promotion group has criticised the move because it says the centre provides a service to Internet-shy travellers who want to plan their journeys without holding up commuters at the ticket office.

Passengers can also obtain timetables, seek information on local services and get advice from staff experienced in complex travel arrangements.

The travel centre opened when the station was rebuilt in 1986.

It has been threatened with closure in the past and now only opens for a few hours a day.

But it provides a vital service when it is open, said Catherine Phillips of the Weymouth-Bristol line promotion group the Heart of Wessex Rail Partnership.

She said: "We produce a line guide and we know that more people pick them up at the Weymouth travel centre than any other station.

"We also know that many people use the centre to plan their journeys and find out information about Weymouth. Internet use may have risen but many people like to speak to someone face to face rather than booking over the phone or online."

Ms Phillips added: "Some people are quite nervous about using public transport and need reassuring about what train they have to get and from which platform.

"I'm afraid there's no replacement for that face to face contact."

The fate of the Weymouth travel centre should be known by the end of the year.

South West Trains stressed it was one of only a few train companies still to have travel centres.

A spokesman said: "We are considering the future of some of our travel centres.

"We keep ticket buying facilities under review and the best way of deploying ticket sales staff.

"We live in a different world now. The website has become a popular way to purchase tickets as has our dedicated telesales line."