RAIL unions have used a photo taken at Newton Abbot station as part of their campaign to stop the closure of ticket offices.

The RMT union is visiting railway stations around the country to prove its claim that ticket offices are still much needed.

Their photo from Newton Abbot was posted on their social media saying: ‘Queues building at Newton Abbot for the ticket office ‘nobody uses’!’

The union is encouraging everyone to take part in the consultation, so rail companies and the government understand how much rail passengers value their ticket offices and staff. 

Great Western Railway has launched its public consultation to phase out ticket offices due to a drop in sales.

It says ticket office staff will be moved into other areas of the station to help customers. 

If the plans go ahead, ticket offices in Dawlish and Teignmouth would be among those to close while in Newton Abbot, there would be ‘reduced open windows’.

But the RMT is taking its campaign to save the offices across the country. 

A consultation has been launched which runs until July 26. 

RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: ‘Our union is taking our campaign to save ticket offices out into every town, city and village in this country. 

'The recent announcements of ticket office closures is a fig-leaf for the wholescale de-staffing of stations, including safety critical train dispatch, safety critical train despatch staff, passenger assistance and other non-ticket office customer service workers. 

‘We will fight these plans all the way and need the public's support in joining our campaign and taking part in the consultation.’

A spokesperson for GWR said: ‘Digital tickets have made it easier and faster for customers to buy and manage tickets online, which means fewer people than ever are using ticket offices.

‘With 85 per cent of ticket sales taking place outside a ticket office on the GWR network, we think it makes sense to put our people where they can be most help to customers.'