MP Told Of £4M Station Ticket Hall Improvement After Complaint

MP Julian Huppert has received assurances from train operator Greater Anglia that £4 million worth of improvement work is planned at Cambridge railway station’s booking hall after he received a complaint.

The number of entry gates is to be increased to improve the flow of customers to platforms and the ticket hall will be opened up to create more space for additional ticket machines.

Julian was given news of the planned improvements after a complaint about the length of queues as customers waited to use ticket machines.

He was told that on one occasion the queue stretched out of the building across the road in front of the taxis to the car park.

After passengers complained, a railway station worker came out with a portable ticket machine and started selling tickets.

At the same time, a train arrived and the ticket hall was jammed with customers and there were fears that someone could be seriously injured in the crush.

Julian said: “This whole scenario was extremely worrying. Clearly, the ticket hall is inadequate for the amount of passengers using the station.

“I am pleased, therefore, that Greater Anglia is planning major works which will open up the ticket hall providing more space for passengers moving through and an increased number of machines.

“Cambridge station is very busy with commuters and passengers and priority has to be to get these people to and from their destinations safely and efficiently.”

Greater Anglia Customer Relations Manager, Lynsey Flack told Julian: “The booking hall at Cambridge station is due for considerable improvement during the lifetime of our current, short rail franchise. This is part of the Cambridge redevelopment plan.”

And she acknowledged that the experience relayed to Julian was “far from acceptable”.