Earlier closing times at station facilities anger City of Culture MPs

Passengers using the Hull Paragon Interchange were told the 7pm closing time was a response to “anti-social behaviour”.

TranspennineExpress, the company responsible for the facilities, has now said the closing time will be moved later to 9pm.

In a letter to TransPennine ExExpress’s parent company FirstGroup, Hull MPs Diana Johnson, Alan Johnson and Karl Turner write: “We find it unfortunate that at a time when Hull is celebrating our status as UK City of Culture 2017, with 342,000 visitors to the city in the first week of the year, the station manager has resorted to closing key parts of the station in the early evening due to anti-social behaviour.

“Rather than cause such inconvenience to passengers, would it not be better to work with the British Transport Police to deal with these incidents in the first place and to deter further suchbehaviour?”

David Hatfield, TranspennineExpress’s station manager for the area, said: “We have made the decision to reduce the opening hours of both the toilets and waiting room at Hull Paragon station to protect the safety of customers and our staff following several instances of anti-social behaviour.

“This includes the serious assault of a security guard and subsequent arrest of the individual who committed this crime.”

He said support from British Transport Police would allow the waiting room to be kept open until 9pm.