UNDERGROUND stations in the City and East London are on a hit list’ to have ticket offices closed, a London Assembly member warns. They include the prestigious Canary Wharf and Aldgate East, according to a leaked document John Biggs says he has seen

By Mike Brooke

UNDERGROUND stations in the City and East London are on a hit list’ to have ticket offices closed, a London Assembly member warns.

They include the prestigious Canary Wharf on the Jubilee Line and Aldgate East on the District and Hammersmith & City, according to a leaked document Assembly member John Biggs says he has seen.

Both stations each have two ticket offices and face losing one of them, he has learned from consultation proposals from Transport for London.

“The Mayor plans cutting 450 jobs from ticket offices,” he said. “Opening hours at hundreds of station ticket offices are being reduced.

“People value the presence of staff and will feel less comfortable about using the Underground late at night.”

The documents seen by John Biggs, whose City & East London constituency includes three stations on the hit’ list, reveal plans to close the eastern ticket hall at Canary Wharf and one of the ticket offices at Aldgate East, as well as the ticket office at Cannon Street on the District and Circle lines.

He makes his claim despite Boris Johnson’s pledge at Mayor’s Question Time on Wednesday: “No ticket office will be closed. They are not going to be closed.”

Other stations on the District Line in John Biggs’ City & East London constituency are to have ticket office opening hours dramatically reduced, he says, at Bromley-by-Bow, Upney, Becontree, Dagenham East and Hornchurch.