Proposed Tube Ticket Office Closures
When Boris Johnson was running for Mayor in 2008 he included a pledge in his Transport Manifesto that said he would halt “the proposed Tube ticket office closures”, and ensure “there is always a manned ticket office at every station”. During his campaign he signed a petition that condemned plans to close Tube ticket offices and drastically reduce the opening hours of many others.
However, recent proposals from Transport for London suggest that the permanent closure of eleven ticket offices is under consideration and dozens more could face drastically reduced opening hours. The proposals would affect tube stations including Brixton, Clapham South, Clapham Common and Balham and result in hundreds of jobs being axed.
Under the proposals, Clapham South station ticket office would see its opening times cut by 46 hours per week, while Clapham Common station’s ticket office would be open for 32 fewer hours each week.
While currently Clapham South’s ticket office closes at 9.30pm on Saturdays and Sundays, under the Mayor’s planned changes it would be without a ticket office after 3.45pm on Saturday and 4.00pm on Sundays.
The ticket offices at Balham and Clapham Common will close at 7.45pm from Monday to Friday and Clapham South’s at 7.15pm, also closing for most of the afternoon, between 1.30pm and 5.00pm on weekdays.
If you would like to register your disappointment with the current proposals then you can contact to Transport for London at enquire {at} tfl.gov(.)uk, we will post any consultations on the proposals as soon as they are available.
Chuka Ummuna, who is opposing the planned reduction in ticket office opening hours, commented:
“Thousands of people use our underground stations on a daily basis and they form a vital connection with central London.
“The Mayor’s drastic cuts to opening times would see our local tube stations without ticket offices for hours on end at peak times.
“As well as the loss of customer service for tube users, I am concerned about the impact the changes could have on the safety of stations, particularly late at night.”
