The campaign to save four Elmbridge station ticket offices from closure at weekends has been won after the Government rejected cutbacks by operator South West Trains.

Bosses at Hampton Court Palace feared the plans to close Hampton Court’s ticket office on Sundays could cause chaos with tourists, many of whom are from overseas or need personal assistance.

But Transport Minister Lord Adonis pledged last week to “protect passengers from unacceptable cuts” and insisted that Hampton Court, Hinchley Wood, Hersham and Thames Ditton station ticket offices would stay open at weekends.

SWT has been allowed to close Hampton Court’s ticket office 85 minutes earlier on weekday evenings, but shorter hours proposed for eight other stations have all been refused.

The train operator will now go back to the drawing board and decide whether to accept a compromise in opening times suggested by the Government or resubmit another proposal.

The Government agreed that opening times could be cut at ticket offices at times when they issued less than 12 tickets an hour.

Esher and Walton MP Ian Taylor, who had been fighting against SWT’s proposals, said he was glad the Government had listened to him and fellow MPs.

He said: “It looks like the Government has made a good judgement and listened to what people like me were saying. Ticket offices are vital to customers.

“SWT managers have written to me to say they will have to make cuts elsewhere now, but that’s their job as managers.”

Of the suggested opening times, Esher station got the worst deal, with the agreement that it could close three hours earlier in the week and seven hours earlier on Saturdays.

SWT announced last week that almost 500 jobs will be cut at the company after an “efficiency review”.

A SWT spokesperson confirmed some of these jobs would go in ticket offices, but could give no information as to where those losses would occur.