LUL PLANS TICKET OFFICE CULL

RMTnews :: august/september 2007 :: www.rmt.org.uk 8 C omplex and fragmented arrangements for running the privatised ‘London Rail’ franchise will make it more difficult to manage operationally and safely, with potentially disastrous consequences, according to a leading rail-safety expert. At least eight components will be involved in running ‘London Rail’ - two responsible for signalling, two for infrastructure maintenance, two for infrastructure renewals, one for train and station operations and another for train maintenance. Many of the operational and safety problems identified in a study of the plans, by Peter Rayner, would not exist if the franchise was to be run directly by London Underground, says the former manager of British Rail’s biggest region. However, Transport for London intends that the ELL’s operations are taken from London Underground and handed, along with the North and West London lines, to privateer MTR Laing. Mr Rayner’s study says that the unnecessarily complex relationships between the franchisee, TfL, Network Rail, private contractor Metronet and its own army of subcontractors, raise a catalogue of concerns. “There is no doubt the fragmented nature of the arrangements does make it more difficult to manage operationally and importantly more difficult to manage safely,” Mr Rayner concludes. Mr Rayner, who has been an expert witness in 50 cases and gave evidence at the Southall and Ladbroke Grove inquiries, draws on lessons from the Tebay and Edge Hill accidents. Proposals to remove guards on the North and West London lines also raise safety fears because driver-only operation is not able to deal with passenger interface issues, says Mr Rayner. He cites examples of serious accidents and fatalities caused by passengers being trapped in doors and trains train moving off, and says that the considerable cost of making DOO safe probably outweigh any of its claimed advantages. L ondon Underground’s cull of ticket offices is far worse than originally feared, as Tube bosses deliberately create longer queues to drive people away from ticket offices. RMT has learned that LUL has a hit-list of 130 stations where further “changes” to ticket office hours are proposed, on top of 39 ticket offices already earmarked for complete closure. 32 stations are scheduled to lose some or all weekend opening, 16 would lose afternoon peak services and 13 facing other major hours reductions (a full list of cuts is available on the RMT website). The union has also learned that TfL has a deliberate strategy to lengthen queues and frustrate people into going elsewhere, and that its ticket office closure plan is based on predictions of the lower future use that it will help to bring about. RMT has already warned that it will fight the planned cuts, with industrial action if necessary, and is seeking public support for its campaign to maintain station staffing levels and to keep booking offices open. TfL has claimed that it is responding to reduced demand for ticket-office services, but it is clearly engineering that reduced demand. Ticket offices provide an essential service way beyond simply selling tickets, ticket office cuts. For the public the will mean less security and fewer staff to deal with emergencies and ticketing problems. For staff it means more lone working, more ticket disputes, more assaults and more stress. “This latest hit-list confirms our warning that if TfL gets away with its first round of cuts then no ticket office will be safe,” RMT general secretary Bob Crow said. Get your MP to sign early day motion 1706 opposing the cuts. EAST LONDON LINE PRIVATISATION BAD FOR SAFETY LUL PLANS TICKET OFFICE CULL EDM 1706 Ticket office closures on the London Underground Tabled by John McDonnell and signed by 35 others That this House is alarmed that London Underground intends to close 40 ticket offices and drastically to reduce the opening hours of dozens of more ticket offices; notes the concerns expressed by passenger groups and trade unions at the proposals; is further concerned that the closures will remove an essential service to passengers, make passengers feel more vulnerable and lead to increased assaults on staff; believes that the proposals are ill- thought out; and therefore urges Transport for London to withdraw these unnecessary and dangerous cuts.