Transport for London has confirmed that previously announced reductions in ticket office opening hours on the London Overground are to be phased in “over the next few weeks”.
The agency says the move is designed to reflect changes in how passengers pay for journeys, citing internal figures showing that fewer than two per cent of Overground journeys involve a ticket office.
Originally TfL and City Hall had planned to close all ticket offices on the network but following opposition from transport unions and passenger watchdog London Travelwatch announced they would be retained though many will now open for just 2 and a half hours per day.
Some of the busiest stations, including New Cross Gate, Walthamstow Central, Willesden Junction and Crystal Palace, will see no changes to opening hours, while some other stations, including Camden Road and Hackney Central, will operate ticket offices during the morning and evening peaks.
However at other stations the offices will only operate during the morning.
Despite the reduced opening hours, TfL stresses that all stations will remain fully staffed and that passengers will be able to access help and assistance, including with journey planning and ticketing.
Rory O’Neill, TfL’s General Manager for London Overground, said: “The way customers want to pay for their train fares is changing with fewer visiting a ticket office at the start of their journey.
“These planned changes will help ensure the ticket offices are available when customers need them.
“We are working to modernise London Overground to meet changing customer needs and are investing in new technology including the latest ticket vending machines to give our customers a greater range of options when using our services.”
