TSSA Campaign to Save SWT Ticket Offices a Success

I am writing to inform you that, in the light of our objections, South West Trains have agreed to modify their proposals. SWT had originally proposed to change the booking office hours at 13 stations within the London TravelWatch area. They have now proposed to withdraw their proposal in respect of seven stations in London TravelWatch and to partially reinstate hours at one station. At the other five stations it is proposed to continue with the reduced hours because the number of transactions is less than 12 per hour standard set by the Secretary of State.

SWT have withdrawn their proposal to change the booking office hours at Fulwell, Hampton, Malden Manor, Motspur Park, St Margaret’s (London), Thames Ditton and Whitton stations and to keep retain the existing opening hours at Barnes on Sundays.

However, the operator has stated that it intends to confirm its proposals to close its booking office at Berrylands, Clandon and HInchley Wood on Saturdays; reduce booking office hours at Barnes and Virginia Water on weekdays and Saturdays; and to reduce booking office hours at Strawberry Hill on weekdays and Saturdays and to close it on Sundays.

SWT justifies their revised proposals on the grounds that at these stations ticket sales at these stations and at these times are currently fewer than 12 per hour (the standard set by the Secretary of State). We accept that this is the case at many of these stations and therefore recognise that any further objection by us is unlikely to be sustained by the Department for Transport. However, we are continuing to pursue with SWT the issue of booking office opening hours at Barnes, Berrylands and Strawberry Hill where the level of ticket sales either exceed or are only marginally fewer than 12 per hour during part or whole of the period proposed for closure.

SWT have also informed us that they intend to expand the destination list on their ticket vending machines and to undertake a complete review of their functionality. They state that as part of their franchise they are committed to introducing smartcard functionality at all their stations. However, we regret to say that they state that they have no plans to add an Oyster top up facility on them as other operators have within London.

In response to our request for assurance that measures are introduced to keep queuing times within acceptable standards, SWT have told us that they undertake complete queue monitoring on a monthly basis across all their flagship stations.

For a more detailed update on these issues, a report can be found on our website at: http://www.londontravelwatch.org.uk/document/4178/get.

We will obviously continue in discussion with SWT on these changes but any final decision on their proposals will rest with the Secretary of State. I hope that this is useful feedback on these changes.

If you have any further queries on this issue, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Yours sincerely