Oppose ticket office closures at Streatham Stations

Hot on the heels of their proposals to remove guards/conductors from Southern services, Govia Thameslink Railways Ltd (GTR) are now proposing even more passenger misery through Station ticket office closures and reduced opening hours and services at others with the resultant loss of more jobs (see here for more on the consultation proposals)

Streatham Hill, Streatham, and Streatham Common stations (also Tulse Hill and West Norwood) will lose their ticket offices in the summer, under the current plans.

These damaging cuts on the Southern and Great Northern Thameslink services fly in the face of the fact that there is still a clear need for staffed ticket offices at stations. Indeed, research shows that many passengers prefer to buy from the ticket office rather than from a ticket machine. Replacing staffed ticket offices with ticket machines, or mobile staff expected to sell tickets on platforms, will undoubtedly limit the quality and range of services available to passengers.

Consultation on these changes is being rushed through and there is only limited time until midnight on the 13th March to register your objection with London Travel Watch.

We are joining RMT in urging everyone to let the watchdog know you oppose these changes and are concerned that passengers:

· would not be able to access all the tickets and services needed from a ticket machine;

· would find it harder to obtain advice on tickets and fares without a staffed office;

· would be concerned that there were insufficient numbers of ticket machines (due to them being in high demand or faulty);

· would experience more delays and concourse congestion;

· believe that vulnerable or less technically minded passengers, perhaps including the disabled, elderly or visitors may be less confident using a ticket machine and could end up overspending or being deterred from travel; and

· believe that a ticket office closure will adversely impact on security at the station and believe that a staffed ticket office is a valuable deterrent against crime.

These proposals are unacceptable at a time of rising fares and rail passenger numbers. There is no genuine economic case for reducing the services at many of these high growth stations and this is really about cutting costs and sweating the assets to make even bigger profits for shareholders.

Email: enquiries@londontravelwatch.org.uk with 'GTR ticket office changes' in the subject line to make your voice heard.

Campaign postcards can be provided on request to RMT head office,
http://www.rmt.org.uk/campaigns/rail/keep-ticket-offices-open-govia/