TICKET office staff working for National Express East Coast are being balloted over potential strike action, The Northern Echo can reveal.

The TSSA union said the ballot, which will affect about 400 staff, including ticket office, clerical and station staff, working on the East Coast Main Line, had been called because of continuing anger over staff shortages.

These were resulting in some ticket offices having to close early, the union said.

Last Saturday, the travel centre at Darlington Railway station was forced to close two hours early – at 5.45pm instead of 7.45pm.

National Express said the decision was taken “reluctantly”

because of what it said was staffing issues.

But Brian Brock, a regional organiser with the TSSA, said: “What is happening at Darlington is becoming the norm.

“It is not just Darlington.

There are a number of ticket offices that are having to close early because of staff shortages.

“We have got insufficient staff to allow us to give the customer the service that they are paying for.”

Mr Brock described the situation as an “absolutely bloody disgrace” and warned that it would only get worse over the summer holidays.

He also claimed there was a direct link between an increasing number of attacks on train staff and frustrations over buying tickets.

He said: “If you are stood in a queue for ages trying to buy a ticket and then miss your train, you can see how people get frustrated.

“I am not going to condone verbal or physical attacks, they are wrong, but I have some sympathy for the customer.”

One rail traveller, who used Darlington rail station on Saturday evening, said: “When you cannot buy a ticket from a person early on a Saturday evening at what is a big mainline station, it is a ridiculous situation.”

In February, the union complained that 100 hours of ticket office opening times were to be lost along the line, including at Darlington, Newcastle, Durham, York and Berwickupon- Tweed.

It also recently criticised the rail company over the introduction of an optional seat reservation charge of £2.50 for a single or £5 for a return ticket.

A National Express East Coast spokesman said it apologised to customers about the Darlington closure.

The spokesman said fastticket machines were available to use outside the travel centre, while arrangements were also made whereby customers from Darlington could also buy tickets from staff on board trains departing the station at the time of the closure.