Chronic staff shortages at London Underground stations - ticket office closures

[richardderby]

Blackhorse Road stations is closed regularly lately due to staff shortages. The Walthamstow natives are getting restless.

80+ tube station closures last month, Blackhorse rd mentioned in this London business article: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/staff-shor...close-stations-80-times-over-december-1598664

 

[philthetube]

I can't understand why Neasden should get a mention, not section 12 so can be left unstaffed.

This list would mean a lot more if length of closures was included.

 

[Mojo]

I can't understand why Neasden should get a mention, not section 12 so can be left unstaffed.

Neasden was closed for 8 Mins on 20th December due to a power failure, the journalist got it wrong as it was nothing to do with non-availability of staff.

 

[321over360]

Newbury Park station is one where you rarely see a member of staff actually either near the gateline or by the ticket machines (about 20 metres apart from each other) which is actually a health and safety breach (as all the gate paddles are shut rather than open which they should be if no one is overseeing them) however before all the cuts you had someone in the ticket office and someone on the gates all the time and the queues for the ticket machines are a joke at Newbury Park, 2 machines only and really slow people who would be better served at a ticket office window which at Newbury Park was frequently used, only time i frequently see a staff member there is coming out the office on the Eastbound platform to check and lock the Newbury Park terminators even then this would be better done with 2, one walks from Western to Eastern inside through all train while other locks the coaches

 

[leytongabriel]

Stella Creasy MP for Walthamstow has taken up Blackhorse Rd closure issue and been told by Tfl that they are recruiting and more staff are in the pipeline ..... We shall see!

 

[All Line Rover]

Why recruit more staff, and incur all the expense of selection and training, after paying redundancy compensation for hundreds?

 

[philthetube]

Why recruit more staff, and incur all the expense of selection and training, after paying redundancy compensation for hundreds?

The question is, Why pay redundancy for hundreds when you need more staff.

 

[rebmcr]

Pragmatically, and avoiding the political gotchas, one would hope that some of the redundant already-trained staff can be rehired.

 

[cf111]

Why recruit more staff, and incur all the expense of selection and training, after paying redundancy compensation for hundreds?

Probably still cheaper to TfL on their new (read:worse) terms and conditions in the long run.

 

[bramling]

Probably still cheaper to TfL on their new (read:worse) terms and conditions in the long run.

Plus you get rid of all the nasty old-school people with all their bad attitude. (That's how the company sees it).

 

[jon0844]

Plus you get rid of all the nasty old-school people with all their bad attitude. (That's how the company sees it).

I'm sure that in some cases that's a fair argument.

We all know that some staff can act in a way that you just know is going to help justify further cuts in the future. Like ticket office staff that are poorly trained, disinterested and even obstructive, who will justify closures in favour of ticket machines.

It's a shame that the dedicated members of staff have to suffer as a result of the actions of some who probably did feel invincible, but gave management enough reasons to want rid of everyone - because they couldn't or wouldn't differentiate between the good and bad.

 

[Busaholic]

Why recruit more staff, and incur all the expense of selection and training, after paying redundancy compensation for hundreds?

Because you've made a mistake? Much easier to justify when you have a new administration too.

 

[Deepgreen]

A Zone 1 station that is closed fairly often is Temple. Yesterday afternoon I alighted there and noticed the station lighting was dim. I immediately realised that the station was closed and, sure enough, then noticed the extendable platform wall signs indicating to drivers "Station Closed - 5mph" were in operation. As another ten or so passengers had also alighted and were heading up the stairs to the locked entrance, I decided to wait on the platform. The driver of the next train established that I worked for LU and gave me a cab lift to Blackfriars. He radioed for the other stranded passengers to be let out of the station!

It all makes for a varied commute experience.

 

[philthetube]

obviously the other passengers had wandered off but I am sure the driver would have picked up all passengers on the platform via the cab, after checking with the line controller.

 

[Deerfold]

obviously the other passengers had wandered off but I am sure the driver would have picked up all passengers on the platform via the cab, after checking with the line controller.

Given deepgreen travelled in the cab, I'd expect he'd have noticed.

 

[bramling]

I'm sure that in some cases that's a fair argument.

We all know that some staff can act in a way that you just know is going to help justify further cuts in the future. Like ticket office staff that are poorly trained, disinterested and even obstructive, who will justify closures in favour of ticket machines.

It's a shame that the dedicated members of staff have to suffer as a result of the actions of some who probably did feel invincible, but gave management enough reasons to want rid of everyone - because they couldn't or wouldn't differentiate between the good and bad.

In a setup where effective performance management of poor performers is basically non-existent, yes unfortunately you're probably right. Again comes down to management though - for allowing the situation to come about in the first place.

It's not always the old-school staff that have bad attitude though. In fact, sometimes the reverse is true. Whilst the old-school people may moan, by and large they do get on with the job, and generally know what they're doing.

 

[jon0844]

A mix of bad habits over time to agency staff that don't care. Some could say management don't care or even like the situation as it allows customer satisfaction to fall and then justify getting rid of all people in favour of technology.

What better way to convince people that ticket offices or other front facing staff aren't needed if you've had plenty of bad experiences and actively try to avoid them. You wouldn't be upset when hearing they were going...

 

[leytongabriel]

Mon 20th Feb in the evening rush hour there was nobody to be seen at Tottenham Hale Victoria line station and the gates were left open. It's shocking that a station this busy should be apparently abandoned but the situation was worsened as it was a day when there were signalling problems on Greater Anglia with Lea Valley service being late and cancelled and Stratford services suspended. Chaotic scenes all round, not helped by the station announcers 'forgetting' platform 1 southbound travellers for 15m.