Crofton Park, Deptford, Ladywell, Nunhead and St Johns Station Ticket offices threatened with closure

As reported by the Ladywell Village Improvement Group and Transpontine, a number of railway station ticket offices in the area have been long-listed for closure in a review by the Department for Transport. The list includes Crofton Park, Deptford, Ladywell, Nunhead, St Johns but none of the stations along the route of the East London Line, nor transport hub Lewisham.

In BC's view, ticket offices at less-used stations are a nice to have, rather than a must have, and if £1 billion can be saved by the closure of these (and the other offices threatened) then that is a powerful argument, given how many of the transactions they were created to handle can now be managed electronically. Yes, there are times when it's nice to ask a human being a question and not everyone has a smart phone to handle route planning, but at a time when cuts are being introduced in many areas, this seems like one of the more painless ones on offer.

We don't really buy the "public safety" argument in favour of their preservation. The scariest times to be on a station are precisely the times when ticket offices are already closed and the presence of other passengers is more important than the presence of someone behind a desk. Good lighting is the best solution, so perhaps the money saved could be reinvested in lighting the exits at stations like St Johns.

No decision has yet been taken by the Government on this issue.