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LU’s proposals would see unparalleled levels of face-to-face customer service, as seen during the London 2012 Games. 

• More staff than ever before visible and available rather than under-used ticket offices – turning public areas of stations into 'personalised customer service centres
• Bearing down on transport  fares made possible by modernising and improving transport while reducing overall cost

In an open letter to the millions of customers who use the Tube each day, Mike Brown, Managing Director of London Underground, set out how LU's modernisation plans;

• will radically improve customer service while bearing down on transport fares; and
• guarantee fairness to all LU staff.

Under LU's proposals the public areas of stations - ticket halls, gate lines and platforms - will become personalised customer service centres, replicating the standards LU were able to offer during the London 2012 Games.Staff will be brought out from behind glass screens and hidden back offices to serve customers better.

Even More Staff Available To Help

Everything that customers can do at a ticket office window will be available to them more readily, with LU staff helping, at ticket machines, on-line or by telephone.

There will be even more staff available to help customers with disabilities.Given the success of Oyster and advances in on-line and ticket machine technology, the use of ticket offices has dramatically fallen. 

Less than 3% of journeys involve a visit to a ticket office. 

This trend is set to continue with the introduction of contactless bank card payment later this year.

When customers do use a ticket office, it is for three main reasons – to buy a ticket, fix a ticketing problem or get information. 

By making more staff available in the public areas of stations – at ticket machines, gate lines and platforms – these services will be significantly improved for customers.

Safety And Security Will Never Be Compromised

Ticket office staff do not control safety and security - a dedicated Station Supervisor or a separate control room do that.

This will continue, and safety and security will never be compromised.

At the busiest stations – Euston, Heathrow, King’s Cross St Pancras, Liverpool Street, Paddington, Piccadilly Circus and Victoria, as well as at Gatwick Airport – new Visitor Information Centres (VICs) will ensure that those unfamiliar with the Tube, including tourists and visitors to London, are provided with the service and assistance they need. 

VICs will also continue to sell tickets at these locations.

Under the proposals there is an overall reduction of 950 roles as a result of LU being able to deliver better customer service in a modern and efficient way.

However, it does not mean that 950 people physically need to leave.

Due to the 650 staff already wishing to leave under the generous voluntary redundancy arrangements, the need for an additional 200 staff for the new 24 hour service at weekends, existing vacancies and natural staff turnover, not a single member of staff is being forced to leave.

Savings Will Be Reinvested

The savings made in closing ticket offices - around 50 million pounds each year or 270 million pounds up to 2020/21 - will help to bear down on fares and will be reinvested in further improvements such as more frequent and reliable train services, air-conditioned trains and extending WiFi.

LU has made five commitments to customers:

• All stations will remain staffed and controlled at all times, with more staff visible and available to help customers and keep them safe and secure
• A new 24-hour service on core parts of the Tube network at weekends from 2015
• More frequent and reliable train services with better, more accessible stations
• Simpler ticketing, including contactless bank card payment with daily and weekly fares capping
• The best possible value by running our services as efficiently as possible while improving customer service

Mike Brown said:

'Our proposals mean radically improved customer service while allowing us to bear down on the cost of transport fares.

We will be emulating the levels of face-to face customer service we gave during the 2012 Games, with more staff available in the public areas of stations to help and advise passengers and keep everyone safe.

'Ticket offices do not control the safety and security of stations.

Station supervisors and dedicated controls rooms do that, and this will continue.

Every station will remain staffed and controlled at all times, and new ticket machines, contactless payment and a 24 hour service at weekends will further improve life for our customers.'

'We cannot stand by and force customers to pay for ticket offices through their fares when a far better service can be provided more efficiently.

The Mayor was able to keep fare increases this year down to the rate of inflation as a result of our being able to modernise and improve London's transport while reducing our overall costs. 

We want to continue doing so, helping us to further bear down on fares.'

During an intensive period of talks, spanning eight weeks and 40 meetings, LU made highly significant changes to its proposals to reflect the feedback of staff and unions, so that a Customer Service Supervisor will staff smaller, local stations at all times, no supervisors need reapply for jobs, all applications for voluntary redundancy will be honoured and we will look to ensure that no staff lose pay. 

There will be no compulsory redundancies and there is a job for every member of staff who wants to be part of LU’s future and is willing to be flexible.

All four trades unions have been invited for further daily meetings with LU this week.

One union, the RMT, has demanded that all modernisation be stopped and have threatened strike action,  having given no credible alternative suggestions to deal with a changing world.

Mike Brown added:

'We recognise that the strikes the RMT propose from next week will be hugely disruptive.

I hope that they can be averted - but that is up to the RMT.

The sensible thing to do is keep talking.

'If the strikes go ahead, we will work hard to provide the best service we possibly can. 

Many of our staff will come in to work and we will also have our Travel Ambassadors out in force to offer help and advice.'

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