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Unions attack plan to leave stations unstaffed for longer
Dick Murray, Transport Editor29 Dec 2008
MAIN line rail stations serving London could be left unstaffed for longer periods during the day, and late at night.
Union bosses today demanded that transport minister Lord Adonis halt moves by South West Trains to slash opening hours at 114 ticket offices.
They fear that if SWT - one of the busiest commuter operators - is allowed to reduce opening times, other companies will quickly follow.
A government decision is said to be imminent on the SWT move, which has also angered commuters and rail watchdogs.
SWT, owned by transport giant Stagecoach, which recorded pre-tax profits of £174.4million for the 12 months ending in April, is planning to close some ticket offices at weekends and reduce weekday opening hours at many others to save money.
It will also increase peak fares by an inflation-busting average of six per cent this Friday, adding hundreds of pounds to annual season tickets. Off-peak fares will go up by more than seven per cent.
SWT serves local and long-distance routes from the South West and carries more than 340,000 passengers a day, three quarters of them to and from Waterloo station.
Union leaders say the cuts will affect safety. Bob Crow, leader of the RMT, the largest of the rail unions, said: "We need more staff on stations, not fewer.
"If SWT is allowed to get away with it, other greedy train operators will see it as a green light to shut ticket offices across the rail network."
Passenger fears over unstaffed stations have been highlighted by the Evening Standard's Safer Stations campaign, launched after the murder of Tom ap Rhys Pryce more than two years ago.
The City lawyer was stabbed after he left the unstaffed Silverlink station at Kensal Green, then owned by National Express. Silverlink is now part of Transport for London's London Overground, with stations now staffed constantly while trains are running.
Mr Crow said: "It is unacceptable that a hugely profitable company like SWT should attempt to lay off vital front-line railway staff, not least in the current economic climate.
"The Government has the power to stop these unwarranted cuts and I have asked the minister to act decisively in the interests of passengers."
He added: "Our campaign against these cuts was endorsed by a large number of passengers who were as horrified about the prospect as our members are."
Gerry Doherty, leader of transport union TSSA, said: "SWT is putting profit before passengers. Opposition to the cuts, which will leave many stations unstaffed at weekends, has been overwhelming."
An SWT spokeswoman said there would be improved ticket vending machines at stations. "We have submitted our proposals to the Department for Transport and are still talking to them," she said.
A DfT spokeswoman said: "The Department is currently considering SWT's proposals."
Reader views (11)
London Midland is just as bad. I arrive at Apsley station at 18:05 and the ticket office is always closed with no staff members around. You can't use the ticket machine to buy tickets for the next day, so you end up getting to the station early the next morning to get your ticket only to discover that the train has a half hour delay!! My 08:11 train service to Euston hasn't been on time once this year (2009) - I often wonder how commuters manage to hold down jobs with the disgraceful service and how much longer we will all contiue to pay ridiculous prices for little or no service!
- Jasonb, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, 12/01/2009 13:12
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The Rail companies have to make an obscene profit, they are not there for social needs.To them it does not matter that empty rail stations will cause more rapes and robberies.
- Stan White, leeds, 06/01/2009 08:38
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To my mind the privatisation of the railways by John Majors Conservative Government has created a situation where we have a new generation of 'Fat Cats': namely the disgraceful profiteering Train Operating Companies (TOC's) and an ineffectual Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR).
I had an extremely bad experience in early December attending a Training Day in the Capital. A Charity - of whom I was attending the training day - payed an inflated rate of over 44 pounds - for a return from Northampton to London Euston.
London Midland (which operate the Northampton franchise) still have old rolling stock. I had to skip a train in order to use the more modern train that departed later. Furthermore, I picked up a train timetable from Northampton station assuming naturally that it would be one applicable to the period I was travelling.
On my return journey my timetable was not current so the 8.34pm Euston to Northampton train did not yet exist. Me and my colleague had to wait for the 8.54pm. This train was very old stank of chips and vomit and departed 15 minutes late.
As far as I am concerned the TOC's have had it far too easy to date. They charge rail fares that are a total rip-off compared to the indescribably bad service you get.
The rolling stock is often old, dirty and smelly - the toilets could be described as a health hazard. Timetables keep changing. I could go on.
And they have a bare faced cheek to hike rail fares.
- James Thurston, Daventry, Northamptonshire, 02/01/2009 16:20
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At Hitchin station, the ticket machines do not offer the cheap fares agreed with Herts County Council. Nor do they handle group bookings (eg four people travelling together).
Two years ago the machines consistently overcharged passengers holding railcards, especially forces and senior railcards. This went on for months. Local protests by passengers led nowhere and the machines were only changed to the correct prices after our local MP took up the issue.
So I predict that, when a station's ticket office is closed, passengers will then be ripped off by ticket machines which do not show the cheap fares to which passengers are entitled. And passengers won't know because fare prices aren't displayed anywhere on the station.
Why won't our politicians recognise that many train operators are simply cowboys, out for a quick buck?
- John Farrington, Hitchin, Herts, 31/12/2008 16:57
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One serious incident or crime on a station will far out way any finacial savings by these rail company's.
The fact that a station is manned stops some low lifes getting on to the platforms and trains.
- Mike Melbourne, Bedford England, 31/12/2008 15:55
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Of course it matters! Stations should made made into 24 hr shops, rather like the petrol stations are. Well lit and stocked with a variety of goods as well as a cafe scene, and staffed.
- Dhanraj, Basildon Essex, 31/12/2008 14:33
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No one mentions to the risk this puts the on train staff under. managment only want to make money and have no interst in staff or passenger safty.
- R Ellis, east devon, 31/12/2008 11:31
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First Capital Connect already operate limited opening hours on many of their stations (closing at 8pm). To compound this the ticket office is often closed even when the station is supposed to be "open". The revenue protection officers are there (of course) and there are ticket machines but you cannot purchase a full range of tickets (especially season tickets) without the ticket office being open.
So, from my experience, even when a station is supposed to be open, it isn't really.
- Keith, London, 30/12/2008 16:42
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You only need to look at the grafitti and vandalism on unstaffed stations to see what happens.
- John, Wapping, 30/12/2008 10:43
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Typical of these private railway cmpanies, anything so the 'Fat Cats' and senior managers can get their fat greasy bonuses. At a time when crime, assaults etc are the concern of the travelling Public, these same companies appear to be suffering from addled brain syndrome.
To make these same railway companies change policy, the travelling Public have to make their feelings known, and known in no uncertain terms, even if it means calling these same Senior Managers 'Idiots' to their very faces! they need to be told exactly what they are.
- Uncle Vanya, Chelmsford UK, 30/12/2008 00:03
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SWT are a disgrace. They were overcharging at the ticket machines for 11 months at Guildford shortly after they were re-awarded their franchise. Passengers were (and often continue to be) left with a choice; wait for an unlimited amount of time at the understaffed ticket office, pay too much or be threatened with a criminal record.
The real criminals are the DfT, Transport Minister and Directors of SWT. They are knowingly fleecing the public. They should be ashamed of themselves and held to account.
- Jeremy, Guildford, 29/12/2008 21:19
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