Major cuts to Eastbourne ticket office hours

If it goes ahead, the new system will see ticket offices replaced by self-service machines and staff with handheld ticket machines known as station hosts.

As a result the ticket offices at both Eastbourne and Polegate will only open from 7am to 10am on Monday to Friday.

While the proposed changes mean Eastbourne’s ticket office will only open for three hours a day, Southern say the new station hosts will work of longer than the current ticket office hours.

On the rail company’s website, Southern states, “The host will provide assistance with ticket purchases, information provision and assisted travel at the times shown within the station concourse or gateline areas.

“In the event a ticket type is not available through these machines then the Host will have access to a ticket office machine within the concourse area to enable those ticket types to be issued.

“Each of the stations listed will have a member of staff on duty from the first train of the day until the last train has departed, seven days a week.”

Eastbourne is expected to be manned from 5am to 11pm on Mondays to Saturdays and from 6.55am to 10.30pm on Sundays.

Polegate is expected to be manned from 5.30am to 10pm on Mondays to Saturdays and 7.30am to 10pm on Sundays.

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