Thameslink Station ticket office closures - How they affect Mill Hill Broadway & other stations in the Borough of Barnet

Thameslink Railway are planning to close the ticket office at Mill Hill. It is not 100% clear how this will affect people like me who regularly buy tickets of all shapes and sizes, often at busy times such as a Monday morning. There are more details on the Thameslink website here

http://www.thameslinkrailway.com/your-journey/station-information/changes-to-the-opening-hours-of-ticket-offices

What they are proposing for stations in the London Borough of Barnet (further details here)


Elstree & Borehamwood (Not strictly in LBB but used by some locals) & Mill Hill Broadway


More than 12 tickets are sold per hour at these stations but still the majority of customers use ticket machines and other ways to pay
At these stations we propose to relocate the ticket selling equipment to a station hosting point so the staff are available on the concourse, but still able to sell the full range of tickets from first to last train
At these stations we will propose to move people onto the concourse as ‘Station Hosts’
Station Hosts will be:

• visible and available from first service until the last, which is longer than current ticket hours in many cases
• trained in customer service
• able to sell tickets and provide information using a new handheld device
• helping passengers use the ticket machines

Cricklewood & New Barnet

Fewer than 12 tickets per hour are sold from the ticket office at these stations. The majority of customers use ticket machines and smartcard technology so there is minimal need for a ticket office
At these stations we will propose to close the ticket office windows and move people out onto the concourse as ‘Station Hosts’
Station Hosts will be:

• visible and available from first service until the last, which is longer than current ticket hours in many cases
• trained in customer service
• able to sell tickets and provide information using a new handheld device
• helping passengers use the ticket machines

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 It is far from clear how well equipped these staff will be to cope with issuing annual season tickets, complicated queries regarding through ticketing and issuing season ticket refunds etc.

We know these changes are important to you and you can comment on our proposals to modernise the service we offer you at our stations. If your station is not listed then it is unaffected by these changes.

The website goes on to say :-

Public consultation commenced on Monday 22nd February 2016, for a three week period, where customers can share their views on our proposals. Posters are being displayed at the affected stations and information is contained on this web site.

You can raise any feedback directly with us (stationchanges@gtrailway.com) but you can also contact London TravelWatch or Transport Focus as they will be collating customer feedback for all the affected stations.

I for one an very disappointed that as an annual season ticket holder, who pays over £1,000 a year for a ticket, I've not received a proper letter informing me of the consultation. I have no idea of the effects of this on me.