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Anger at rail ticket office cuts
Dick Murray, Transport Editor24.02.09
PROTESTS against plans to reduce ticket office opening hours at King's Cross and other stations grew today.
Critics say the move will lead to stations being unstaffed for longer periods, forcing passengers to buy more expensive tickets from machines and raising concerns about passengers' safety.
Queues at King's Cross ticket office are the worst in Britain, according to Passenger Focus, the national rail watchdog.
National Express, which operates the East Coast Main Line, plans to reduce opening times at 14 main stations by 100 hours a week.
Val Shawcross of the GLA's transport committee said: "It makes my blood boil that these private companies are showing such disregard for customer services - and ignoring public concerns about safety."
Reader views (1)
Passenger Focus reports "Queues at King's Cross ticket office are the worst in Britain" and this is before completion of the local Kings Cross (Copenhagen)Railways Land development and regeneration of the surrounding area. The longer ticket queues are also only to be expected to worsen now that a full Eurotunnel service was restored to the Continent on 9th February and a full speed Eurostar service will follow from St Pancras
- Donald Smith, Palmers Green, London
