Rail passengers have hit out at a plan to close railway ticket offices in Dorset.

The changes, which South Western Railway has launched a consultation on, would see ticket offices at Dorchester South and Weymouth stations shut as part of a mass cost-cutting closure of railway ticket offices in England.

Under the plans, ticket sales support will still be provided at both stations, but the hours in which people can expect help in Dorchester will be greatly reduced.

The number of job cuts is unknown. Ticket office staff affected by closures will be given the option of moving to a new 'multi-skilled' role with training provided.

Dave Johnston of Weymouth, who regularly uses trains in this area, said: "I travelled by train this morning and I was among others who are astounded at the news.

"Essential and ever-helpful advice does not come out of automatic ticket machines."

In the consultation the rail firm classes Weymouth as a ‘category one’ station and says it will offer ‘full retail capability’ of tickets, while Dorchester South has been classed as a ‘category three’ station offering ‘single colleagues supporting customers’.

Instead of having a ticket office open from 5.50am to 6.15pm on Monday to Friday, Dorchester South would have just one member of staff helping passengers and selling tickets on the platforms from 6am to 12.45pm during the week.

At weekends, instead of having a ticket office open on Saturdays from 6.45am to 5pm, again, one member of staff will assist passengers with ticket sales from 6am to 12.45pm.

On Sundays, Dorchester South – which currently has a staffed ticket office from 8.45am to 4pm – will be unmanned.

During the unmanned hours passengers will be able to use video-calls on the ticket machines to get assistance from a South Western Railway worker at a video call centre.

Meanwhile, Weymouth Railway station will have ‘multiple South Western Railway colleagues available to help customers every day of the week’, the firm says.

And the hours in which passengers can get assistance are being increased.

Weymouth’s ticket office is currently open from 5.45am to 6.05pm Monday to Friday. Under the new plans, there will be ticket sales help from staff from 5am to 12.30am during the week.

There will be longer hours for assistance with ticket sales on Saturday at the station, currently 6.10am to 6.05pm. This would be increased from 5am to 12.30am. On Sundays these hours will again extend, currently 8.40am to 6pm, to be increased from 6am to 12.45am.

Mr Johnston added that the cost-cutting closures show 'the government sees that the railway network and railway staff don't really matter.'

Dorchester Mayor Alistair Chisholm described the planned closures as 'a backwards step'.

He said: “The technology is fine when it works but I must admit that speaking personally I have found the ticket machine quite difficult to operate.

“Locating the one person who’s going to be at Dorchester might not be easy.

“But if it’s a case of money I would rather have a lift at Dorchester South to help people from one platform to the other.”

Details of the proposals can be found at southwesternrailway.com/stationchange and customers have until July 26 to comment on the proposals.