A CHORUS of disapproval has greeted the closure of Bournemouth railway station’s travel centre.

South West Trains closed the open-plan office and will replace it with a set of ticket windows.

Passengers said even station staff criticised the move saying that it was a cost cutting measure to make people use the internet and vending machines.

Cllr Nick King, Bournemouth council’s cabinet member for communications, said: “We saw the travel centre as a vital resource particularly when the council is trying to improve links between the station and town centre.”

A South West Trains spokesman insisted the full range of advice and tickets would still be available when the new ticket office opened in July.

He said travel centres were being closed because people were not using them as much – although there was often a queue at Bournemouth.

Campaign groups also doubted passengers would find the new set-up user-friendly.

John Friedberger, Wessex chairman of Railfuture, said: “Travel centres were staffed by people with the knowledge to advise passengers over complicated journeys.

“Ticket office queues quickly build up when a passenger wants to make a non-standard enquiry.”

He said people could find ticket machines and the internet confusing – so they didn’t always get the cheapest or most appropriate ticket.

And Jocelyn Pearson from Passenger Focus said people feel safer when they can readily deal with staff.

She said: “The closure will be fundamentally detrimental to those using the station.”