Local Overground Ticket Office Faces Closure
South Acton on list of 51 stations at which cuts are planned
South Acton station. Picture: Google Streetview
South Acton station look set to lose its ticket office if plans recently announced by Arriva Rail London proceed. They claim demand at the station does not warrant the continued operation of the office and have started the formal process of obtaining the necessary permission to shut it down.
Arriva have announced a list of 51 stations in which they are planning closures.
The full list of stations which are slated to shut is:
Acton Central, Anerley, Brondesbury, Brondesbury Park, Bruce Gove, Bush Hill Park, Caledonian Road & Barnsbury, Camden Road, Canonbury, Carpenders Park, Clapton, Dalston Kingsland, Dalston Junction, Finchley Road & Frognal, Gospel Oak, Hackney Central, Hackney Downs, Hackney Wick, Haggerston, Hampstead Heath, Hatch End, Headstone Lane, Homerton, Honor Oak Park, Hoxton, Imperial Wharf, Kensal Rise, Kensington (Olympia), Kentish Town West, Kilburn High Road, Penge West, Rectory Road, Rotherhithe, Shadwell, Shepherds Bush, Shoreditch High Street, Silver Street, South Acton, South Hampsted, Southbury, St James Street, Stamford Hill, Stoke Newington, Surrey Quays, Theobalds Gove, Turkey Street, Wapping, Watford High Street, West Hampstead, White Hart Lane and Wood Street.
The RMT have launched a campaign against the closures as they believe it will make it harder to buy tickets and will particularly affect the elderly and the disabled. They also say that understaffed stations will make it harder to provide a safe and secure environment at these stations.
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said, “I am calling on Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to oppose this retrograde plan for wholesale closures in the strongest possible terms. Ticket offices play a crucial role at train stations.
“London needs to welcome its passengers, visitors and tourists not with a machine, but a welcoming and friendly ticket office who can provide a full range of services.
”This is just the latest attack on a properly staffed, safe, secure and accessible railway for all and RMT is determined to halt these plans in their tracks.”
London Travel Watch wants to hear from passengers who have a view on these change. They can comment on the proposals through an online survey which runs until 11 October.
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/CDVZWTM
Comments can also be sent to consultations@londontravelwatch.org.uk or by post to 169 Union Street, London, SE1 0LL.
London TravelWatch has a statutory role to assess the impact and make recommendations if proposals are made for the closure of a railway line or a station (or station facilities) within the London railway area.
Arthur Leathley, Chair of London TravelWatch said, ‘We want to ensure that passengers can still purchase all the tickets that they need after these proposed changes. There must also be suitable provision of information and security if the ticket offices at these stations were to close. We will review the responses we receive from passengers to our survey and make a recommendation to the Department for Transport based on these and other information we receive.’
September 25, 2018
