THE Save Our Ticket Offices campaign is set to be debated in Parliament after a petition against the “nonsensical and deeply unpopular plans” received 100,000 signatures.

The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA), which represents white-collar rail workers, thanked the public today for the “remarkable response” after some 101,000 people added their names to the online petition more than a month before it is due to close.

The development follows news that a consultation on the plan to axe ticket offices had received a record-breaking 680,000 responses.

TSSA interim general secretary Peter Pendle said that the response to the petition “just shows the power of the public.

“Time and again, we have seen the Conservatives attempt to ignore the solid arguments that trade unions, disability and pensioner groups and the public have given them for keeping ticket offices open.

“They might think they can sneak these closures through the door, but these numbers show it won’t work.

“We know a terrible idea when we see it and we won’t be talked down.

“Now there will be no more hiding. We look forward to seeing the government held to account for these nonsensical and deeply unpopular plans.”

Unions, passenger groups and organisations representing elderly and disabled people have put up fierce opposition to a decision by train operators to close almost 1,000 ticket offices.

The so-called modernising plans for the industry have government backing, but unions warn that they will result in up to 2,000 job losses.

Train companies claim that moving staff out of offices and onto station concourses to sell tickets will provide a better service to passengers.

Petitions that reach 100,000 signatures are nearly always debated in Parliament.