An increasing number of ticketing problems on the Bittern Line are causing delays, anxieties and possible extra costs for passengers, and are losing National Express 'large amounts of revenue,' according to Norfolk County Councillor Paul Morse.

Mr Morse regularly uses the Sheringham to Norwich line to travel from his home in North Walsham to the city for meetings at County Hall.

He says a ticket booth at North Walsham station has been unmanned since last summer and on a growing number of occasions the on-board conductor fails to get round all the passengers needing to buy tickets before the train arrives in Norwich.

Passengers leaving the train before Norwich end up travelling for free and those who arrive in the city with appointments and onward connections are often delayed as they queue for 10 or 15 minutes to buy a ticket on the station, says Mr Morse.

He is also concerned that passengers travelling on the Bittern Line who intend buying an off-peak through ticket to London are charged full fare if they arrive at Norwich without a ticket, do not have enough time before their connection to purchase it on the station, and have to buy it on a London-bound train. The price difference could be about �40, he believed.

A National Express East Anglia spokesman said passenger numbers and ticket sales were regularly monitored. Conductors made every effort to ensure all passengers could buy tickets and on the limited occasions where this wasn't possible, they could be bought at Norwich. Buying advance tickets on-line was also increasing in pouplarity.

He added: 'Where a passenger changing from a local service on to a London-bound train has been unable to purchase a ticket, we would always advise they to speak to the conductor on the London service before departure to explain the situation so the appropriate ticket can be issued.'