'Encouraging start' as more than 600 people sign petition to keep Shropshire railway ticket office
Campaign group is hoping to reverse decision to close office at north Shropshire station
Campaigners hoping to save the ticket office at a north Shropshire railway station are hailing the early success of their new petition.
The group said 630 people had signed the petition within the first 24 hours of it going live as they bid to halt the closure of the ticket office at Gobowen station.
The petition, created by the Shrewsbury-Chester Association for Rail Passengers (SCARP), calls for action to secure a sustainable future for a staffed passenger service at the station near Oswestry.
Severn Dee Travel, the independent, not-for-profit organisation which has operated the ticket office for around 30 years, announced in September that it planned to withdraw the facility at the end of 2026 because it is no longer financially viable.
SCARP believes the response to the petition demonstrates just how much the ticket office and its wider community role mean to local people such as assistance with tickets, fares, routes and connections.
They said this was particularly important for older and less confident passengers.
SCARP, which has represented rail passengers between Chester and Shrewsbury since 1986, said Gobowen station recorded almost 250,000 rail passenger journeys in 2024/25.
The future of the station's waiting room and café is also uncertain.
The café, operated in partnership with Derwen College in Gobowen, provides work experience for students with learning disabilities and the station is also a designated Safe Place.
SCARP is urging Transport for Wales to work with the relevant organisations and local stakeholders to explore alternative arrangements and secure their futures.
A SCARP spokesperson said: "We are delighted by the response - 630 signatures in just 24 hours is a powerful indication of how strongly people feel about Gobowen station.
"This is about much more than buying a train ticket. The ticket office provides a valuable personal service while the station's wider facilities play an important part in the local community.
"We recognise that Severn Dee Travel has made its decision to withdraw. We are therefore asking Transport for Wales and other interested parties to help find a sustainable way forward.
"We do not want Gobowen to lose a valuable staffed passenger service simply because the existing arrangement is no longer viable. This is an encouraging start but we need to keep the momentum going."
Severn Dee Travel previously said the closure decision had been taken with "real sadness" but the rise of digital tickets, the lasting financial impact of the pandemic and long-term changes in commuter travel patterns had reduced its income to a point where it could no longer continue.
"We know this facility has been particularly valued by customers who prefer speaking to a person and by those who are unable to manage online or app-based payment and it will be a loss to lose that option locally," a statement added.
Transport for Wales previously said: "As we do not own the premises occupied by the ticket office, we are discussing future opportunities for the space with the facility owner.
"While we will explore whether a future tenant may wish to include rail ticket retailing as part of their business, we are not currently able to confirm what the future use of the premises will be."
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