Politicians have praised a government decision to backtrack on ticket office closures after the plans were scrapped earlier today.

Voices from across the political spectrum heralded the decision as a “great victory for passengers” after the decision was made to keep the sites open.

Government plans would have seen ticket offices closed with staff placed on forecourts instead but the decision was dropped after a public outcry.

Among the voices praising the decision was Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas who slammed the original plans as “desperately short sighted” and criticised Transport Secretary Mark Harper.

She said: “This U-turn was long overdue, and a great victory for passengers, people with disabilities and community groups – both here in Brighton and Hove and across the country.

The Argus: Caroline LucasCaroline Lucas (Image: UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/PA))

“This desperately short-sighted plan was so clearly unacceptable, when machines aren’t always reliable and thousands of people with mobility issues have no other workable alternatives.

“For Ministers to now claim that they were thinking of passengers all along is laughable – the Transport Secretary must own his mistakes. But in the meantime, I’m joining with campaigners in celebrating this announcement.”

Rail Minister Huw Merriman, MP for Bexhill and Battle, said proposals “did not meet the high threshold set by ministers”.

He added that he now expected proposals to be withdrawn but a train operator source expressed anger at the fact plans were signed off by civil servants and ministers.

Lewes MP Maria Caulfield also welcomed the decision, saying she was “very pleased” that ticket offices remained open.

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Other Conservative MPs to welcome the decision include Eastbourne MP Caroline Ansell. She said that previous plans “ran the risk of disenfranchising vulnerable members of our community”.

Brighton and Hove City Council Leader Bella Sankey, who was part of groups campaigning for the plans to be dropped, also celebrated the decision.

Taking to social media, she called the news “fantastic” and congratulated trade unions, disability campaigners and Labour MPs and councillors for opposing the “disastrous plans”.

Ticket offices across the country faced closure under controversial plans that unions and campaigners said would lead to job losses and difficulties for passengers such as the elderly and disabled when paying for travel.