ST HELENS is set to keep its main train station's ticket office after the controversial decision to close hundreds of offices across the country.

Aiming to modernise the railway and cut costs across the industry, the Rail Delivery Group announced today (Wednesday, July 5) that hundreds of ticket offices would be closed in the next three years.

All but the busiest stations will close their offices, it has been announced, with St Helens Central one of the Northern Rail stations that has been saved from the axe.

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While the town centre train station will remain open in St Helens, this will be operated at reduced opening hours.

Following a month-long consultation, Northern is expected to close all of the train stations it operates in St Helens and many across the wider North over an 18-month period.

St Helens Star: Northern has announced plans to close hundreds of ticket officesNorthern has announced plans to close hundreds of ticket offices (Image: Stock)

The RDG has insisted that moving ticket office staff onto station platforms and concourses will “modernise customer service” and pledged there will be “more staff available to give face-to-face help”.

However, disability charities and trade unions have voiced their anger at the proposals, claiming it will lead to job losses and put some vulnerable passengers off train travel.

Following the rail industry announcement, Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said: “Across all business sectors the way people consume, access and purchase products and services has changed. Rail is no different - only 1 in 6 journeys on Northern services are purchased through a ticket office, this compares to almost half of all journeys in 2018.

"We need to modernise to meet the changing needs of our customers and we are seeking views from the public on these proposals.

“Along with the rest of the rail industry, Northern is sharing proposals on how we plan to change how we support customers at our stations.

"These proposals include the creation of a new, more visible customer-facing role that will offer a wider range of support across our stations.

"This new role will mean that the traditional ticket office is no longer required at most staffed Northern stations, except for 18 at hub locations, that will have amended ticket office opening hours."