SWT plans massive ticket-office cull despite huge growth in passengers and profits

Publication Date: June 23 2008

Company putting profits before service and safety, says RMT

STATIONS EARMARKED by South West Trains for ticket-office closures have seen an increase in passengers going through their doors of nearly 27 per cent in the last year, Britain's biggest rail union reveals today.

Analysis by RMT of official figures shows that 114 SWT stations threatened with cuts and closures have between them had more than 18 million more 'entries and exits' by passengers in the last year - up from just over 68 million to well over 86 million.

Details of the proposed cuts, which RMT has pledged to resist, also reveal that there will be a dramatic increase in stations that will lose their ticket offices entirely during weekends -while SWT's parent group, Stagecoach, is anticipating a huge jump in profits.

"The dramatic increase in passengers suggests that SWT should be increasing the number of staff on stations, not cutting them," RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today at the union's annual conference in Nottingham.

"The city is expecting the Stagecoach group to register another substantial increase in profits and it is quite clear that the group is putting its profit before the people it is supposed to serve.

"SWT's planned cuts would leave stations unstaffed, particularly at weekends, but also at night and that will only make railway stations and the passengers who use them less secure.

"CCTV has its uses, but it is no substitute for the presence of trained uniformed staff.

"For our members this is an attack on up to 140 jobs, and for SWT's passengers it is an attack on their service and safety, and it is in all our interests to tell the company that these cuts are unacceptable," Bob Crow said

ends

For further informationplease contact Derek Kotz on 07939 595 092

Notes to editors: Profit before People - South West Trains Ticket Office Closures

• Table 1 below shows that South West Trains is closing or cutting ticket office hours at stations which in the last year have seen an increase of almost 27 percent in 'passenger entries and exits'.
• In the last year station passenger 'entries and exits' at the affected stations have risen from 68,013,374to 86,282,884, an increase of 18,269510.
• Details of the worst-affected stations and the days and times the closures will bite are attached.  The result will be a massive expansion of stations that will close completely on Saturday and Sunday and earlier week day closing.
• The closures will leave stations unstaffed, heightening passenger security concerns particularly where there are evening closures.
• Regular customers and commuters who purchase their tickets for the following week at the weekend will suddenly find that their ticket office is no longer open, causing not only inconvenience but also longer queues during peak time.
• Weekend closures will disproportionately hit those who use trains for leisure and visits to friends and family
• The replacement of staff with machines will increase instances of passengers travelling without tickets either because they could not use the machines, or the machines were faulty.
• It is not clear where the proposed automatic ticket machines will be able to offer the full range of tickets currently provided by staffed ticket offices such as group-save tickets or add-ons to existing tickets or refunds for tickets not used on the day due to rail disruptions or cancelled trains.
• Stagecoach, which owns South West Trains, is expected a substantial increase in profits later this week.  

Table 1 (pdf file)

Table 2 - Stations most hit by SWT's proposed ticket-office cuts

Of the 114 stations listed for cuts and closures (out of a total of 145) those below are the worst affected. Only six of these  have no change to their weekday open/closing times and only three no change to Saturday open/closing times, and none have no changes to Sunday times.

ADDLESTONE.Currently open sat. closed sun. proposed: closed both days. Mon-Fri. currently open 06.30-13.25 proposed: closes at 10.00

ALTON.Currently open Mon-Fri. 06.30 - 20.30   Sat.06.40 -20.15  Sun 07.00 - 18.00.  Proposed: Mon- Fri.06.30 -19.00  Sat 08.00-17.30  Sun 08.30 - 16.00.

ANDOVER.  Sun. Currently open 08.10 - 20.45  Proposed: close 4hrs earlier.

ASH.  Proposed: closed on sat as well as sun.

ASH VALE. Proposed closed on sun.

ASHFORD (SURREY)  Proposed closed on sun. and the mon.-fri. service close at 13.25 instead of 20.05

AXMINSTER.  Proposed closed on a sun. and the mon-fri. service to end 13.05 instead of 20.30 and sat. service to end at 13.05 instead of 20.20

BAGSHOT.  Proposed to close close sat. as well as sunday

BARNES  Proposed to close close on sun.

BEDHAMPTON.  Proposed to close close on sat. and sun. the weekday service to end at 09.45 as opposed to 13.55

BERRYLANDS. Proposed to close close on sat. as well as sun.

BOOKHAM.  Propose close sat. as well as sun. week day service to end at 10.00 instead of 13.30

BRANKSOME.  Proposed to close closed sat. and sun. weekday service to end at 10.00 instead of 13.20 

BROOKWOOD  Proposed to close close sun. weekday service to end at 13.00 instead of 20.15

BYFLEET & NEW HAW  Proposed to close close on sat. as well as sun. weekday service to end at 10.30 instead of 13.00

CAMBERLEY  Proposed to close close on sun. weekday service to end at 13.25 instead of 19.50 and sat. to close at 13.00 instead of 19.05

CHANDLERSFORD  Proposed to close close on sun.

CHESSINGTON SOUTH  Proposed to close close on sat. as well as sun. weekday service to end at 10.00 instead of 14.18

CLANDON  Proposed to close on sat. as well as sun.

CREWKERN.  Proposed to be closed on sat. and sun. weekday service to end at 13.05 instead of 18.00

DATCHET  Proposed to close on sat. as well as sun.

EARLEY  Proposed to close on sun. weekday service to end at 13.25 instead of 21.05

EFFINGHAM JUNCTION  Proposed to close on sat. as well as sun. weekday service to end at 10.10 instead of 13.25

ESHER  Proposed to close on sun. weekday service to end at 18.00 instead of 21.00

EWELL WEST   Proposed to be closed on sun.

FARNCOMBE  Propsoed to be closed on sun. weekend service to close at 13.00 instead of 19.55. sat. service to end at 13.00 instead of 19.55.

FENITON  Prposed to be closed on sat. and  sun. weekday service to end at 11.30 instead of 22.00

FRIMLEY  Proposed to be close on sat. as well as sun. weekday service to end at 10.30 instead of 13.05

FULWELL  Prposed to be closed on sat. as well as sunday weekday service to end at 10.00 instead of 14.00

GILLINGHAM (DORSET)  Proposed to be closed on sun. weekday service to end at 17.30 instead of 20.45 sat. service to end at 12.45 instead of 21.50

HAMPTON  Proposed to be closed on sun. weekend service to end at 11.00 instead of 20.30  sat. service to end at 13.30 instead of 21.00 

HAMPTON COURT  Proposed to close on a sun.

HAMWORTHY  Proposed to close on a sat. as well as sun.

HEDGE END  Proposed to close on sun.

HERSHAM  Proposed to close on sat. and sun. weekday service to end at 10.30 instead of 13.40

HINCHLEY WOOD  Proposed to close on a sat. as well as sun. weekday service to end at 10.10 instead of 13.25

HONITON  Proposed to close on sun. weekday service to end at 15.15 instead of 19.45 and sat. service to end at 13.15 instead of 20.00

HOOK  Proposed to close on a sun.

LIPHOOK  Proposed to close on a sun. weekend service to end at 17.35 instead of 20.00 and sat. service to end at 13.00 instead of 20.00

LISS  Proposed to close on sat. and sun. weekday service to end at 11.10 instead of 19.55

LONDON ROAD(GUILDFORD)  Proposed to close on sat. as well as sun. weekday service to end at 10.00 instead of 13.35

MALDENMANOR  Proposed to close on a sat. as well as sun. weekday service to end at 10.20 instead of 13.50

MARTINS HERON  Proposed to close on a sun. weekday service to end at 13.25 instead of 20.20

MILFORD  Proposed to be closed on a sat. as well as sun.

MOTSPURPARK  Proposed to be closed on sat. and sun.

NETLEY  Proposed to be closed on sat. and sun.

POKESDOWN  Proposed to be closed on sat. and sun. weekday service to end at 11.30 instead of 20.15

PORCHESTER  Proposed to be closed on sat. and sun.

SHEPPERTON  Proposed to be closed on sun. weekday service to end at 12.00 instead of 17.30 and sat.

SHERBOURNE  Proposed to close on sun. sat. service to end at 13.30 instead of 21.00

ST DENYS  Proposed to close on sat. and sun. weekday service to end at 10.45 instead of 13.30

STONELEIGH  Proposed to close on sun.

STRAWBERRY HILL  Proposed to close on sun.

SUNNINGDALE  Proposed to close on sun. sat. service to end at 13.30 instead of 20.15

SWANWICK  Proposed to close on sun. sat. service to end at 14.00 instead of 18.55

SWAYTHLING  Proposed to close on sat. as well as sun. weekday service to end at 11.00 instead of 13.45

TEMPLECOMBE  Proposed to be closed on sun. weekday service to end at 18.30 instead of 22.00 sat service end at 12.35 instead of 21.30

THAMESDITTON  Proposed to close on sat. as well as sun.

TISBURY  Proposed to close on sat. and sun. weekday service to end at 12.05 instead of 17.25

UPPER HALLIFORD  Proposed to close on sat. as well as sun. weekday service to end at 10.00 instead of 13.30

VIRGINIAWATER  Proposed to close on sun. weekday service to end at 17.45 instead of 20.00 sat. service to end at 13.30 instead of 20.50

WANDSWORTHTOWN  Proposed to be closed on sat. as well as sun. weekday service to end at 10.30 instead of 13.55

WAREHAM  Proposed to be closed on sun.

WEST BYFLEET  weekday service to end at 13.00 instead of 20.00, sat. service to end at 13.00 instead of 20.00, sun. service to end at 13.00 instead of 16.40

WHITCHURCH (HAMPSHIRE)  Proposed to be closed on sat. as well as sun.

WINCHFIELD  Proposed to be closed on sun.

WINNERSH  Proposed to be closed on sat. and sun.

WINNERSHTRIANGLE  Proposed to be closed on sat. as well as sun. weekday service to end at 10.00 instead of 13.20

WITLEY  Proposed to be closed on sat. as well as sun.

WOOLSTON  Proposed to be closed on sat. and sun.