A COMMUTER group fears the railway branch line to Frinton and Walton will be relegated to a “transport backwater” as part of expected changes to railway timetables.

John Smock, chairman of Frinton and Walton rail user group Ontrack, said commuters were dreading the annual fares increase at the start of the New Year and are already questioning whether they are getting better value for money.

He said commuters are already furious that six ticket offices will close at station’s across Tendring, including in Walton, Thorpe, Alresford and Great Bentley.

They will replaced by upgraded ticket machines from January 8.

Mr Smock said commuters fear further changes to timetables will hit commuters from the district – with its railways being downgraded to branch lines with few through trains.

He said: “Tendring stakeholders are alarmed by the rail industry and trade union grapevine.

“The trade union correctly predicted the ticket office closures that were not included in the Department for Transport franchise consultation.

“Rail industry workers and trade union feedback now suggests the Tendring lines will be progressively further downgraded to just branch lines.

“It suggests that the 2019/20 timetable rewrite will leave Tendring railways devoid of regular through trains to and from London with all changes at Colchester.

“What that would do to the daily commute or tourism, goodness knows.

“Such a move would be outside of the franchise specified framework service.”

Mr Stock said he fears Tendring will be relegated to a “transport backwater” and that Whitehall “mandarins” are trying to offload London’s social housing problems to Clacton.

Greater Anglia said there are no plans to cut direct train services in Tendring and that the new timetable will continue to have direct Clacton to London trains all day.

A spokesman added: “We are modernising the railway in the whole of East Anglia, including Tendring.

“We are replacing six ticket offices in Tendring, with enhanced ticket machines which have a 24/7 link to a member of staff.

“At some of the stations there will also be staff on hand to help with ticket and other enquiries and also assist customers with baggage, pushchairs or wheelchairs.

“All of these stations have very low ticket sales from ticket offices. Across the Greater Anglia network, half of all tickets are now bought online, on mobile phones or at ticket machines.

“We are getting brand new trains, with fast free wifi, air conditioning, plug and USB sockets and more seats, to replace every train on our network, including those that serve Tendring.

“We are drawing up new timetables so we can improve services across the region, which will continue to include direct trains to London from Tendring.”