Plans to close the ticket office at Lowestoft rail station have been scrapped following a government U-turn.

Proposed changes to services at Lowestoft train station had sparked fears that customers would be left "without support".

Greater Anglia launched a consultation earlier this year about proposed changes to the way tickets are sold and customer service is provided at stations, as part of a plan to close 47 of its 54 ticket offices across the region.

Lowestoft Journal: Waveney MP Peter Aldous. Picture: Peter AldousWaveney MP Peter Aldous. Picture: Peter Aldous (Image: Peter Aldous)

With Waveney MP Peter Aldous making a representation to Greater Anglia as part of the consultation on the proposed ticket office changes at Lowestoft Station, he slammed the proposals as "a retrograde step".

The independent voluntary body for public transport users in east Suffolk and Waveney, the East Suffolk Travel Association, said they had "serious concerns" about the ticket office closures.

Lowestoft Journal: Jess Asato, Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Lowestoft, at Lowestoft rail station. Picture: Lowestoft Labour PartyJess Asato, Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Lowestoft, at Lowestoft rail station. Picture: Lowestoft Labour Party (Image: Lowestoft Constituency Labour Party)

Jess Asato, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Lowestoft, wrote to transport secretary Mark Harper, raising concerns about the proposed changes as Lowestoft Labour Group members received hundreds of signatures from rail users on a petition against the plans.

On Tuesday, it was revealed that railway ticket offices in England are set to be saved from closure following a government U-turn.

Mr Harper said the government had asked train operators to withdraw their proposals as they failed to meet high passenger standards.

He said: "The proposals that have resulted from this process do not meet the high thresholds set by ministers, and so the government has asked train operators to withdraw their proposals."

Ms Asato said: "I'm delighted that the government has listened to local residents in Lowestoft who were furious about ticket office closure plans announced earlier this summer.

"Older and disabled people would have been disproportionately impacted by these proposals, as well as those who don't have digital access."