Safety fears over proposed tube staff job cuts at Highgate

Transport for London has revealed plans to cut 800 tube station staff posts across the capital by February, including three-quarters of the staff at Highgate and oter nearby tube station offices. The staff cuts have prompted fears over passenger safety.

TfL have proposed to cut ticket office staffing hours during the day and close ticket offices by 7pm. Ticket office staff not only deal with ticket enquiries and Oyster card issues, but play an important role in safety and security and act as emergency contacts for passengers who are taken ill on trains.

The RMT Union last week voted in favour of strike action over the job cuts, saying "it was only the vigilance and experience of station-based staff spotting

smoke from an escalator at Euston and an air-conditioning unit at

Oxford Circus that ensured safe evacuation of both stations and averted

potential disasters."

Other local  stations affected by the cuts will include Hampstead, West Hampstead, Belsize Park and Chalk Farm.

A TfL statement made yesterday argues, "Safety will never be compromised. However, we need to change and make

sure we have the most efficient organisation possible and to deliver

the best possible value for our customers and taxpayers."

The announcement comes as the role of quick-thinking staff in the prevention of disaster in last Friday's "runaway train" incident on the Northern Line was revealed. The loose engineering train, which had become uncoupled from another train towing it, came within 650 yards of a passenger train before being spotted and diverted by a controller.

Last week, the RMT issued a statement about the runaway train incident, saying "This horrific failure comes against a background of a systematic

reduction in safety-critical jobs and safety procedures as a direct

result of TfL’s financial cuts programme. It is essential that TfL call a halt to their cuts

plans and bring an end to the dilution of tube safety.”