22 March 2016
RMT Press Office
RMT secures major victory in on-going fight to stop "ticket office carnage" that threatens 83 stations across Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern
Following on from a massive RMT-led campaign the Board of London Travel watch have today opposed all of the Govia Thameslink Railways proposals to shut or change opening hours at ticket offices in London.
GTR’s proposals would have seen ticket office closures at 41 stations in the London TravelWatch area and reducing the hours at a further 14 stations.
The decision follows the opposition of thousands of passengers to proposals in a campaign led by the RMT. The union also made direct representations in writing and at the Board meeting today.
The Union has welcomed the reprieve for the ticket offices and is seeking urgent clarification as to what the next steps are and also what the decision of Transport Focus is for the 28 non London Ticket offices.
RMT has made clear however that in light of the decision by London Travel Watch, GTR should drop what the union has called unworkable, unsafe and unpopular proposals. The union has also made it clear that the fight goes on and will not stop until the whole closure plan is scrapped.
RMT general secretary Mick Cash said:
“Today, public campaigning, led by RMT, has secured a massive victory in the on-going fight to stop these ticket office closures but we still have a long way to go and we must keep the pressure on. Govia Thameslink must now drop the whole ill-conceived plan on all routes both inside and outside the London area.
“These plans are driven by the desire to de-staff our railways in the quest for profit and would unleash a wave of ticket office carnage across rail franchises that are already seen as the basket-cases of Britain’s privatised railway network. It is clear that Govia couldn’t give two hoots about passenger services, jobs and safety and are prepared to milk these routes for every single penny that they can extract regardless of what the travelling public think of them.
“The voice of staff and the travelling public has rung out loud and clear through the RMT campaign and the fight to scrap the whole programme of 83 ticket office downgrades and closures continues."
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