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Battle lines drawn to keep ticket offices open closure
Dick Murray, Transport Editor28.01.09
POLITICIANS and union leaders today urged rail commuters to back the Evening Standard's campaign for safer stations.
London Assembly members joined rail union chiefs at King's Cross station to protest against plans by First Capital Connect to reduce opening hours at 43 ticket offices on its Thameslink route.
Critics of the money-saving scheme say it will mean stations will be left for longer without any staff, particularly late at night and at weekends.
The Standard's Safer Stations campaign was launched in 2006 after the murder of Tom ap Rhys Pryce as he left the unmanned station at Kensal Green. Surveys have shown passengers want more staff at stations, not fewer.
Gerry Doherty, general secretary of the TSSA transport union, said: “It is vitally important that passengers make their voices heard on FCC's unacceptable plans to make cuts at 43 ticket offices on some of London's busiest commuter lines. If they back us and the Standard's Safer Stations campaign we can win this fight.”
He added: “A manned station is a safer station and passengers can buy cheaper tickets at booking offices rather than at ticket machines.”
Assembly members Joanne McCartney, Enfield and Haringey, and Valerie Shawcross, Lambeth and Southwark, joined Mr Doherty and RMT union leader Bob Crow in urging passengers to join the protest.
Enfield North MP Joan Ryan has tabled a Commons motion saying the cuts, which would affect 22 constituencies, would threaten passenger security and urging First Capital to drop the plans.
Mr Crow condemned the cuts as “an attack on passenger service and safety and an attack on our members' jobs at the worst possible time. It beggars belief that FCC can propose removing more staff from stations when four of them, Alexandra Palace, New Southgate, Oakleigh Park and New Barnet, are deemed by the Mayor of London to need regular police patrols to improve safety.”
Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon this month largely rejected plans by South West Trains to cut hours at 114 ticket offices after widespread public protest. Passengers have until next Tuesday to lodge their objections with London TravelWatch or Passenger Focus.
Other stations affected include Elephant & Castle, Haringey, Hornsey, Luton Airport Parkway, New Southgate, Stevenage and Tooting.
Reader views (11)
We are told that TFL keeps its ticket offices open and manned at all times. Then why was the ticket office CLOSED at the Pentonville road (former Thameslink entrance) of Kings Cross/St. Pancras station on Friday 13th February 2009! So much for Boris johnson's promises during the GLA Mayoral election campaign.
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex
I travel twice a year on public transport from East and Northeast London to points north.
Please keep staff in the Thames stations for our protection.
- Virginia Wenzel, Arizona USA
We need to keep these offices open even if its just fro travel advice and to call the police if the scum that are taking over our streets start using the stations as a place to attack travellers especially late at night, but having said all that wouldnt it be nice to actually see some British transport police officers patrolling, i travel many thousands of miles a year by train and i never see any of them.
- Brian, Wiltshire
My wife tried to get a ticket from a manned station on Wednesday evening. She was told to use the machine !!!
What is the point in having someone in the ticket office with this attitude?
- Scott, london, uk
The scroats that hang arouns stations and bus depo's don't worry about getting told off.
- John, Wapping
Ticket Offices should be turned into all night diners and shops.
- Dhanraj, Basildon Essex
As a female someone sitting in a booking office does act as some reassurance. If it's manned then people who aren't getting trains are less likely to hang around for fear of getting told off. Additionally should you need to get to someone to help you you stand more chance if it's manned. A dark quiet station with no staff, away from shops / pub / open places is not a nice place to be!
- Victoria, London
The other Sunday evening I was at a unstaffed railway station when an automated announcement requested me to report anything suspicious to a member of staff. Considering there were none not particularly useful! However there was a last minute change of platform which was not announced and I missed my connection! Joined up thinking please!!!
- Michael, London
Since when has somebody sitting in a booking office behing glass been able to provide security to someone on a platform?
- James, London
What is most worrying about this is that the big corporations have not noticed what has happened to the large banks.They forgot that their main job is to give a service to their customers and look where they are now.
In this recession the customers appreciate a service ie ticket offices which are open and the security this gives,if this is not there they can always find another way where they might get a better service.
- Nigel, wimbledon
It may be interesting to compare this with London Overground since its takeover by Transport for London. The stations are staffed all day and ticket gates have been installed at many stations. Personally, I feel more comfortable about travelling on these routes particularly in the evenings and it would be interesting to see the effect on revenue. I bet it has increased.
By comparison, on recent journeys on FCC using my travelcard, my ticket was never checked. I wonder if fare evasion is high, probably a lot higher than those on London Overground and London Underground.
- Mike Constable, London UK
