West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin this week reveals that some concessions have been made to help prevent cutbacks to Malvern’s train ticket offices. London Midland was seeking to make reductions to the opening hours, depending on automatic ticket machines for significant portions of the day. Harriett lobbied the Department for Transport on behalf of her constituents to reduce the impact on local commuters. Transport Minister Norman Baker has yesterday (Monday September 17) written to the Malvern MP confirming that some of the reductions to the opening hours were being allowed while others had been altered. The Department has insisted on a set of conditions from the train company to invest in the network and improve service levels. Ticket office hour reductions were only allowed where any station sold less than 12 tickets per hour. Harriett commented: “I wrote to the Department to express my constituents’ concerns. I am pleased that we have been able to win some concessions for early birds in the opening times in Malvern Link. “The station will soon benefit from a £500,000 re-vamp with disabled access and better facilities. “More and more people are choosing to use automated ticket facilities and to buy their tickets in advance but many people still appreciate the opportunity to buy their tickets from a fellow human being.”