"MONEY-GRABBING" South Eastern Trains (SET) has been criticised over proposals to reduce ticket office opening hours as penalty fares are doubled.

Last month SET informed Dartford Council ticket office staff might be cut back in quiet times and replaced with machines.

As a result, Stone Crossing's ticket office might close completely and Longfield, Swanscombe and Faringham Road stations could face reduced opening hours.

Across the network, 99 ticket office positions will be replaced with 128 new ticket inspector positions, including mobile teams to target trains and stations at various times.

The news comes as the Government has raised penalty fares to £20.

North Kent Rail Users Group secretary John Grubb said: "If the Government wants to raise penalties it needs to make sure the service is reliable.

"People are using cars because the service is appalling.

"Sergeant-majors dishing out penalties on trains will not help. It's a money-spinning game."

Cabinet member for business Councillor Tony Martin uses Faringham Road station every day.

He said: "SET is more interested in money-grabbing than providing customer service.

"It's ironic it plans to reduce the number of staff selling tickets and then increase the number of staff catching people without them."

Mr Martin says long queues for a machine on Monday morning could force passengers onto the train without a ticket.

And machines will not be able to calculate add-on fares for season tickets holders travelling to other zones.

He added: "There is no differentiation between fare dodgers and a genuine mistake.

"You are treated like a criminal for leaving your season ticket behind."

An SET spokesman said: "Ticket office staff still have a role to play but technology has moved on.

"With new machines and the website, we cannot justify retaining staff in non-productive positions when passengers would prefer to see them in more visible, customer-facing roles."

SET is assuring passengers its staff will check with stations to ensure anyone genuinely unable to buy a ticket will not be penalised.