Consultation announced to close 11 overground station ticket offices in Hackney amid RMT opposition
An Overground train at Dalston Junction. The line will run at night from next month. Picture: Justin Foulger/Flickr/Creative Commons (licence CC BY-SA 2.0) - Credit: Justin Foulger/Flickr/Creative C
Overground ticket offices in Hackney are set to be decimated as a consultation has revealed plans to close 11 of them.
Arriva Rail London, who work with TfL to provide the overground services, say closing the ticket offices will “represent an improvement on current arrangements in terms of quality of service.”
The stations affected are: Dalston Kingsland, Dalston Junction, Haggerston, Hoxton, Shoreditch High Street, Homerton, Hackney Wick, Clapton, Rectory Road, Stamford Hill and Stoke Newington.
In total, 51 ticket offices face closure across the capital.
The proposals have been strongly criticised by rail union, the RMT.
It said the closures will be “damaging and detrimental” and that there is still a “clear need for human interaction as a safeguard for passengers.”
General secretary Mick Cash said: “I will be calling on London mayor Sadiq Khan to oppose this retrograde step in the strongest possible terms and to ensure that instead of shutting them down ticket offices are celebrated for the role that they play in the life of a station.”
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Jon Fox, TfL’s director of rail and sponsored services said: “The way customers pay for travel has changed rapidly as they embrace new technology, creating an opportunity to improve the way stations are managed and how staff serve customers.
“Arriva Rail London have been engaging with their staff and trade unions and are now consulting with rail industry bodies and London TravelWatch about ticket offices on stations where there are fewer than 12 ticket sales per hour.
“These proposals will not compromise safety and all stations will remain staffed at all times.”
The consultation will close on October 11.
People can give their views by visiting: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/CDVZWTM
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