Multiple train stations around Buckinghamshire will be affected by government plans to close ticket offices amid a fall in usage across England.

The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) has announced plans to close nearly all ticket offices at train stations across England in line with government plans to "modernise customer service" and cut costs.

According to a list published by the Mirror, multiple stations in Buckinghamshire will be affected by the move including Beaconsfield, Denham, Gerrards Cross, High Wycombe, Aylesbury, Princes Risborough and Great Missenden.

London Marylebone, London Waterloo, Birmingham New Street and Manchester Piccadilly are also among the thousands of stations in England run by companies contractually associated with the government and therefore at risk of closure under the new scheme.

Posters are now being displayed at train stations across the county inviting passengers to respond to consultations on the changes which will be run by watchdog Transport Focus and last for three weeks.

Since the plans were announced, there has been a wave of backlash from disability charities and trade unions, claiming that the changes could lead to job losses and put vulnerable individuals at a disadvantage. 

Stephen Brooks, rail policy adviser for the charity Disability Rights UK, told PA: "Disabled and older people, who experience the greatest digital exclusion, are going to be the hardest hit.

"For people unable to buy tickets online, the ticket office is wher they get journey information and the best deals."

The RDG said that only 12% of tickets were purchased from station offices in the last year, down from 82% in 1995.

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If the closures go ahead, passengers will only be able to pay for their journeys by tapping contactless cards on barriers, using self-service machines or buying tickets from staff on-duty at the station in some instances. 

The group has said that "ticket office facilities" would remain in place at the busiest affected stations while the transition is being rolled out.

RDG chief executive Jacqueline Starr said: "The way our customers buy tickets has changed and it's time for the railway to change with them.

"Our proposals would mean more staff on hand to give face-to-face help with a much wider range of support, from journey planning to finding the right ticket and helping those with accessibility needs."

According to PA, no closures are expected to take place until autumn and the programme will be rolled out over a three-year period.