TICKET offices at some of our railway stations could be axed in a bid to save cash.

Six out of the seven ticket offices earmarked for closure by Greater Anglia are in the Tendring area.

Walton, Thorpe, Alresford, Great Bentley, Dovercourt, and Harwich International are all on rail bosses' hit-list.

A consultation on the proposed changes was launched this week, with public notices going up at stations.

The train company claims all the stations have very low ticket sales that fall "well below" minimum levels set by the Department for Transport, so they do not have to provide ticket offices by law.

But passengers reacted with fury to the move.

Steven Walker, of Walton, said: "This must not be allowed to happen. The ticket office staff provide an essential service to the travelling public, helping people get the correct ticket and the cheapest.

"They help with disabled ramps and have the key to the toilets. How are disabled people going to manage?

"Staff also spread salt in winter on the platforms to prevent people slipping and hurting themselves."

Greater Anglia said all the ticket offices affected in Tendring are served by trains with on-board conductors who can sell tickets to customers.

It is also installing ticket machines at all stations and upgrading existing machines so that they are easier to use and more “user-friendly”.

The company said a member of staff would be on duty at times of major demand at Harwich International, such as when cruise ships are in port.

There would also be similar member of staff based at Thorpe, and procedures will be in place to help passengers with mobility difficulties.

Customer service director Andrew Goodrum said: “We believe this is a sensible step in terms of providing a better, more cost-effective range of ticket purchasing options, targeting investment and facilities in a way that works for customers, whilst also being good value and sustainable.”

The consultation runs until March 20.