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Railway firms ask Hoon for state aid

www.guardian.co.uk

Britain's train operators face a "potentially devastating" blow from the economic downturn and need government assistance to stave off disaster, public transport chiefs warned ministers yesterday.

The heads of the five largest train companies – Stagecoach, National Express, Go-Ahead, Arriva and FirstGroup – urged the transport secretary, Geoff Hoon, to consider shortening trains, rewriting the financial terms of franchise agreements and putting up state funding for an extra 1,000 staff across the rail network.

12:46, 21 Jan 2009 by Matthew Rees

Sunday ticket office openings to continue

www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk

Train users were given a boost when it was announced four station ticket offices earmarked for closure on Sundays would now remain open on the Sabbath. Last week Lord Andrew Adonis, transport minister, told South West Trains (SWT) it could not proceed in full with a plan to reduce ticket office opening hours at 114 stations across the network.

The rail operator has responded to Lord Adonis’ announcement - and the rejection of proposals to reduce hours at offices during times when on average 12 or more tickets are issued hourly - with a new list of opening times and Barnes, Hampton, Hampton Court and Strawberry Hill station ticket offices will continue to open on Sundays.

Plans to slash weekday ticket office opening hours at Hampton and Strawberry Hill stations has also been scrapped as have plans to close the office at Fulwell station on Saturdays and cut opening hours at St Margarets on Sundays.

09:53, 21 Jan 2009 by Matthew Rees