When the Mayor and Underground bosses were thinking of running the trains late into the night on Fridays and Saturdays they were only too anxious to ask the public what they thought of this idea. So why have they not been just as keen to ask us, the paying public, what we think about the plan to shut down the ticket offices? I guess they know the answer they would get would not be the one they want to hear.
Mrs C. Martin, a zone 1 to 5 monthly Oyster Card holder.

A machine-only station where I am denied the choice to purchase my ticket from a person is not progress. It is not a case of being against change, but when it leads to a less satisfactory service, as closing the ticket offices surely will, then this particular change must be resisted. I will be signing the new petition as soon as it is launched and I urge everyone who uses public transport to do likewise.
Sangita, a zone 2 to 5 weekly Oyster Card holder.

I don’t want to be held in a queue on the end of a phone when there is a problem with my Oyster Card. I want the people who work in the stations to sort it out as they do for me now. There is no good reason for closing the ticket offices and I can only conclude that the decision has everything to do with reducing staffing numbers and nothing whatsoever to do with helping the passenger. All power to the people behind the petition.
Mr P. Bartlett, North Harrow to Lewisham.

I wholeheartedly support the campaign to keep the ticket offices open. Our ticket office at North Harrow should be championed by London Underground and held up as a shining example for all other stations to follow for its efficiency, effectiveness and relevance to the running of the station each morning.
Brian, North Harrow to Victoria.

The ticket office is the place I choose to buy my weekly Oyster Card. The ticket office is the place I go when there are problems with my Oyster Card. The ticket office gives me advice on how to reach my destination and the best route to take. The ticket office is where my children go to ask when the train will arrive to take them to school. The ticket office is the voice of the station by announcing that my train is approaching the platform. The ticket office voice also informs me if there are delays, not just on the Metropolitan Line, but on other lines across London. The ticket office quite literally runs the station and, on top of all this, the ticket office voice wishes me and everybody else waiting on platform two a nice weekend every Friday morning. This is why I shall sign the petition to save the ticket office.
Chrissie, North Harrow to Barbican and whose children travel to school in Rickmansworth.

I travel to school each morning from North Harrow to Rickmansworth and the staff who work in the ticket offices at both these stations are always very kind and helpful. I feel safe in the knowledge that they are there every day to look after not just me, but all the other people waiting for a train. I will be very upset if the ticket offices close and there are fewer staff working at the stations.
Kimberley, North Harrow to Rickmansworth.

Thank you to the North Harrow ticket office for the excellent service day in day out. Thank you in particular for replacing my Oyster Card when it did not work and for returning my credit card to me that day I dropped it on the stairs. Thanks for the train announcements, the service with a smile and for making my daily commute that much more bearable.
Sandra, North Harrow to London Bridge.

The staff who work in the ticket offices do a great job. In particular I have found the customer care at North Harrow and Northwood to be of an exceptionally high standard. I am totally opposed to the plan to shut the ticket offices and reduce the opening hours at others. I also work in a customer facing role so I understand and appreciate the value of the human touch. Machines and phone lines are no substitute. Bring on the petition now!
Mandy, North Harrow to Northwood.

I have found that it is a lot less trouble to top up my Oyster Card with a weekly travelcard by using the ticket office. It is also quicker than the machine and then I am able to go on my way knowing that I have bought the correct ticket. The man behind the window will also check my Oyster Card for incomplete journeys and tell me if I owe any money for going beyond my normal zones. Closing down the ticket offices will only increase the stress levels of the public at large and lead to a worse service in the long run.
Mr D. Shah, North Harrow to West Hampstead.

I have found the ticket office staff at North Harrow very obliging and dedicated to giving an excellent service. Using a machine is an alternative when there is a big queue at the ticket office but it will never replace the speed and efficiency of the personal touch. And another thing, what am I supposed to do when my Oyster Card fails to work properly and the staff who can replace it for me in a matter of minutes are no longer there? Closing down the ticket offices is a false economy and will prove a massive inconvenience for customers.
Brinda, North Harrow to Stratford.

How can shutting the ticket office and decreasing the number of staff to just one person during the morning rush hour be justified when there are hundreds of people passing through the station at this time? It is more than just an argument about being able to buy a ticket from a person or a machine because the safety and security of the passengers will be compromised if this is allowed to happen.
Sonal, North Harrow to Tooting Broadway.

As a regular passenger travelling from North Harrow I want to pay tribute to the sterling work done by the man who runs the ticket office who also keeps us informed over the loudspeaker system on the state of the train service. I have an annual travelcard so I probably only speak to him once a year, but I am dismayed to learn that the ticket office has been earmarked for closure. If it happens it will be the end of customer service as we know it. Shame on you, London Underground.
Meera, North Harrow to Canary Wharf.

We had to catch a plane from Stansted Airport recently and upon arrival at the station were unsure which train to take. The man who sold us our tickets said we should go to Liverpool Street and change on to the Stansted Express. He must have known we were not regular passengers because he not only announced over the tannoy that the 08.09 Aldgate train was approaching, but added, “And for the two passengers going to Stansted Airport, you should take this train all the way to Liverpool Street where you can join the Stansted Express for your onward journey to the airport.” That in our opinion is truly outstanding customer service.
Peter and Helen, occasional travellers from North Harrow station.

The station staff at Pinner, North Harrow and Northwood Hills are magnificent. I and my family travel to and from these three stations regularly and the attitude of the people who work there has helped dispel my previous perception of London Underground staff as useless and uncaring.
Martin, Davina and family.

It is absolutely appalling that the popularity of the Oyster Card is being used to try and justify the closure of station ticket offices. No amount of machines or phone lines is a substitute for being able to deal with another human being face to face. Transport for London knows very well that ticket office staff can on most occasions solve a ticketing problem in a matter of minutes. My own Oyster Card has failed to work properly several times over the past six months and the ticket office staff have sorted it out for me on every occasion. That’s what I call a very good service, so I say to Transport for London withdraw your plans to shut the ticket offices now.
John, North Harrow to Baker Street.

North Harrow station is unique. Many stations on the Underground I have found offer what I can only describe as an average standard of customer service and only a few I would be able to class as excellent. Then there is my local station North Harrow which is truly outstanding in its approach to customer care. For Transport for London to be so shortsighted as to determine the future of the ticket office based on ticket sales alone is absurd. Transport for London should withdraw their plans to shut the North Harrow ticket office. In doing so they would acknowledge they are serious about doing what is in the best interests of the passengers who use this station.
Mrs S. Patel, an Oyster Card pre-pay user.

I would like to strongly voice my opinion in opposing the closure of North Harrow station ticket office. I, my wife and my two sons have been using the station for 13 years, and over that time we have needed the ticket office at regular intervals. Issues have ranged from trouble on the platform, announcements about late running trains which have given me time to leave the station to catch the bus instead, problems with the Oyster Card readers and many other issues that the station staff have been very helpful with.

My wife and my younger son would certainly not use the station if there were no ticket office as they would not feel safe, and furthermore, ticketing problems would not have been resolved prior to boarding a train. Having modernised the station and the ticket hall recently, I am sure customer service is a goal the Underground should strive for. It is very difficult to understand how London Underground can contemplate shutting down the ticket office in such a busy station.
Raj and Family, North Harrow to Highbury & Islington.

I travel to work everyday from North Harrow station and very much value the high quality service provided by the staff there because they are committed and customer facing.
Jennifer, regular Metropolitan Line user.

I really value the friendly and helpful service provided by North Harrow station. Everyone values the regular updates on the platform public address and I don’t mind paying for this very good service to continue. It makes no sense to close ticket offices that benefit the travelling public. I urge the Mayor to keep ticket offices open because it helps to build community spirit and makes London a more welcoming place, especially for tourists.
Jeremy, a zone 1 to 5 monthly Oyster Card holder

The reason the people of North Harrow are ‘up in arms’ about the threat to close the ticket office at the station is because it really does make a difference to the commuters and others who travel from North Harrow every morning. The staff we see (and hear via the loudspeaker system) go out of their way to help passengers and I find it amazing that the London Underground management does not use North Harrow ticket office as a role model for the way many of its other stations should be run. But instead it wants to close it. Absolute madness!
Yogini, North Harrow to Hyde Park Corner.

The ticket office is the heart of the station. The latest information,conveyed to us in the most pleasant and efficient manner is the zenith of our daily journey. This brings smiles to our faces and enables us to plan our journey effectively by minimizing inconvenience. I, and thousands of others, strongly oppose the closure of the ticket offices for it is your obligation to us, your customers, without whom you would not survive, to keep the ticket offices open.
Sanjiv, North Harrow to Manor House.

I want to thank the station announcer at North Harrow for nearly always finding the time to wish everybody on the platform a nice weekend every Friday morning. It is a lovely personal touch to hear these words coming out of the loudspeaker even if the train has been delayed and we have been waiting longer than we would have wanted.
Jenny, North Harrow to Shepherds Bush.

Our local MP, Gareth Thomas, needs to take a more active role in the fight to stop London Underground closing down not just the North Harrow ticket office but all others in the Harrow area. I am not sure if he has spoken on this issue but I know in the past he has publicly backed campaigns organised by local residents. I really hope he can find the time to come down to North Harrow station and stand alongside the volunteers getting the passengers to sign the petition.
Chandrakant and family, who regularly use North Harrow station.

I use North Harrow station each day to travel in to London and my daughter also uses the station to go to school in Northwood. The staff who work at both these stations are so friendly and helpful and are a credit to the Underground. I and all my family are totally opposed to this plan to shut the ticket office. We signed the first petition last summer and will be signing the new one this spring.
Bhavna and family of North Harrow.

I signed that petition outside North Harrow station last year. It does not surprise me one little bit that those with the power to stop the closure of the ticket office appear not to be listening to the demands of the people. I salute all the residents and union people for not giving up the fight. I shall support you again by signing the new petition on my way home from work because if they shut the ticket office down, an unmanned station will eventually follow.
Navin, a zone 1 to 5 monthly Oyster Card holder.

Much money has been spent modernising dozens of stations across the Underground including several million pounds on North Harrow alone. Yet the heaters in the waiting rooms often brake down, large pools of water form on the platforms in wet weather and, most annoyingly of all, many trains depart two or even three minutes earlier than the times published in the timetable. About the only thing that works with any efficiency at North Harrow is the ticket office and now the Mayor and the London Underground board want to close it down. This is an absolute disgrace and I urge everyone to sign the new petition.
Michael, a regular passenger on the 07.18 to Aldgate.

Memo to the Mayor of London: I have yet to meet anyone who thinks closing the ticket offices is a good idea. 3,449 people signed the first petition outside North Harrow station last year opposing your policy to shut the ticket offices. I, and no doubt many others, are still opposed to your plans to close them. Respect the voice of the people and reverse your decision without any further delay.
Richard, a Freedom Pass user.

What other business actively discourages its customers from buying its own products, direct from its own people and premises? Transport for London’s desire for you to be able to top up your Oyster Card over the phone, online or at the newsagent is promoted as giving you a greater freedom of choice, but in doing this it should not be denying you the opportunity to buy a ticket from the most experienced and efficient outlet of all, the station ticket office. It seems to me that closing the ticket offices is nothing more than a cost cutting exercise. It is a false economy and everything about it is anti-customer through and through.
Penny, North Harrow to Aldgate East.

Commuting is a stressful experience without compounding it by closing the station ticket office. No amount of automation whether it be a ticket dispensing machine, a call centre phone line or the internet is a substitute for dealing with another human being. This is not progress; it’s just a pain in the backside. I will fight London Underground all the way on this. No ticket office closures at North Harrow, Chesham or anywhere else.
Andy, North Harrow to Chesham.

I am heartened to learn that representatives of the residents’ association and the trade unions will once again be outside North Harrow station to greet all the commuters as they return home in the evening rush hour. I am only sorry that the efforts of last summer need repeating this spring because the Mayor of London and the Tube management have so far failed to honour the wishes of nearly three-and-a-half thousand people who oppose their plan to shut the ticket office. The people collecting signatures are doing this for all of us, so please support them.
Neil and family, regular users of North Harrow station.

London Underground says that when the ticket offices are closed down, staff will be on hand to help me get my ticket from the machine. This is a pointless exercise because if the staff are being paid to get me my ticket out of a machine, why can’t they be put to better use by serving me properly from within the ticket office?
Harry, North Harrow to Marylebone.

If my Oyster Card does not work as it should, the ticket office people will either sort out the problem or exchange it for one that does work. What could be easier? I can then be on my way and not have to give it another thought. But oh no! The Mayor of London and the Underground directors have decided to make life more difficult, time consuming and stressful by forcing me to use a phone line when the sensible and obvious answer would be not to shut the ticket office in the first place.
Mel, North Harrow to Wimbledon.

Has anyone envisaged the total and utter chaos that will be caused if ticket offices are removed from the stations? Passengers will feel short-changed on the occasions that they leave the station without even catching a train because of an over-run of engineering work, signal failure, or any of the other multitude of excuses that London Underground trot out with monotonous regularity, all of which lead to the inevitable suspension of the service. Just for starters, nobody will be able to have their £4 entry charge reimbursed on to the Oyster Card. This will cause massive resentment amongst the fare paying public and could lead to ugly confrontations when the lone member of staff on the station informs them that they must phone the Oyster help line to get their money back. If this is transforming the Tube, I think I will go by car instead.
Philip, Oyster Card pre pay user.

The incredibly high standard of customer service received by the commuters at North Harrow station each morning is an example of the kind of practice which should be replicated at every station on the Underground. Not only are tickets issued with speed, accuracy and a friendly face, but helpful advice is given to passengers at the ticket office, such as the best route that should be taken for their journeys. The ticket office also sorts out issues with the Oyster Card such as debit balances and unresolved journeys. But I would like to know how will we redeem our customer charter refund vouchers, which we can claim for delays of 15 minutes or more, if the ticket office is closed down?
And what kind of service will we get, and what problems we will encounter, when the ticket machines break down? In addition, the ticket office announcements on the platform which are given for every train are extremely useful and reassuring for passengers. All this will end if the ticket office shuts. I think it is an utter disgrace that the Mayor, who takes more and more of our money each year, is now planning this unwarranted assault on the customer service provided at this station. I urge everyone to sign the new petition.
Rachel, North Harrow to Oxford Circus.

Anyone who travels from stations such as Northwood or Pinner should not be complacent about the threat to the ticket offices. These two stations may only face the prospect of having their opening times reduced on this occasion, but you can be sure that if the ticket office closures at North Harrow and Northwood Hills are bulldozed through, then it is only a matter of time before the ticket offices at Northwood and Pinner are closed down as well.
Mr R. Samuels, Pinner to Moorgate.

Has it occurred to London Underground that the majority of the passengers who travel from North Harrow (zone 5) pay some of the highest fares to use their services? Only those who catch trains from zone 6 stations and further out pay more. It is all these stations along the Metropolitan Line which are going to become ‘ghost towns’ as the ticket offices are shut and staff numbers are cut to the bone. This is an absolutely scandalous way to treat those people who through their fares pay the most money in to the Underground’s coffers. Stop the ticket office closures now. It’s time to fight back.
Tony, a zone 1 to 5 monthly Oyster Card holder.

When the service is delayed or suspended and passengers leave the platform without catching a train, the ticket office is where we go before exiting the station so we can have the start of our journey voided and the £4 maximum fare reinstated on to our Oyster Cards. If the ticket office is shut down the only way the passenger can get that money back is by phoning the helpline. This is ludicrous. Apply a bit of commonsense London Underground and keep the ticket offices open.
Nadia, North Harrow to Southwark.

The petition to save the ticket office does not go far enough because it should be a campaign to get it opened up throughout the rest of the day as well. It goes without saying that it should be open in the morning rush hour but what a waste of resources and manpower in that it already shuts at 10.30am each day. What incompetent organisation now wants to shut it completely when they should be offering a ticket office service whenever the trains are running? Answer: Transport for London, which is paid for by you and me the taxpayer and fare payer.
Raymond, who mostly travels off peak from North Harrow into London several times a week.

I am very angry that the Mayor of London and the Underground bosses are persisting with their plans to close the ticket offices despite many thousands of people signing petitions last year. This will lead to fewer staff being available when you need them most, and as a result will mean a worse service for passengers at the affected stations. Thank you for starting a new petition and for standing up for the wishes of the population at large.
Carol, North Harrow to Canons Park.

I occasionally use North Harrow station to go to Paddington for my hospital visits. Visiting hospitals is never a pleasant thing to do so seeing a smiling face at the ticket window helps raise some of your gloom and the pleasant greetings over the public announcement system always make my day. I find it easier to get my Oyster Card topped up at the ticket office than at the machine, which sometimes takes for ever to do the job, or so it seems especially when you are waiting to be ‘served by the machine’ while standing in a queue, which is what we will be forced to do if the ticket office closes for good.
Sarita, North Harrow to Paddington.

The staff at North Harrow give excellent customer service day after day and have made the chore of commuting that much more bearable and pleasant. I really appreciate James Bond’s train service announcements which we have at this station. We have a very pro-active and approachable ticket office and I do NOT want it closed down.
Natasha, North Harrow to Chancery Lane.

I hate this obsession with automation and a machine-only society which makes human contact redundant. You see it with banks, at some airport check-ins and of course at train stations. Does it make life easier, more efficient and cheaper? Of course it does not. This is why I support the campaign to stop the closure of the North Harrow ticket office and the move to having a machine-only station.
Alex, North Harrow to Whitechapel.

Please can someone explain to me the logic behind closing the ticket office at North Harrow? What plans are in place to advise passengers if their trains are delayed or cancelled? When there is a train strike,who will maintain order on the platform when overcrowding becomes a problem,or who will help first time travelers who require assistance? Will a computerised machine be put in place to advise of the best route to a destination with the cheapest cost and what means of security are to be put in place for the passengers? Who will be first point of contact when there is a problem at the station and what is there availability? So many questions, yet no answers.
Miss B Tailor, North Harrow to Finchley Road.

I don’t often use the Tube but when I do I am entitled to purchase a privilege ticket which gives me a discounted fare. I can only buy this from the ticket office. How does Transport for London propose to overcome this problem if it closes down the ticket office?
Mrs J Tailor.

North Harrow station is fortunate to have a very high profile throughout the area because of a man called James Bond who is well thought of for the exceptionally high standard of customer service he provides each morning. However, the threat to the ticket office and this wonderful service is just the thin end of the wedge because if the public at large don’t wake up and fight this closure plan now, (not just at North Harrow but all the other stations on the Metropolitan Line as well) then it won’t be long before they arrive at the station one morning to find nobody on duty. The Tube bosses and the Mayor will deny this, of course, but I don’t believe them and neither should you.
Sheena, North Harrow to Green Park.

Unlike the Mayor and the Transport for London bosses, I am grateful that you have had the decency to ask me what I think about the plans to close North Harrow’s ticket office. I am totally opposed to the closure and the reduction in staff members that will follow. I have been using the Metropolitan Line since I was a small boy and know most of the stations between North Harrow, Watford and Amersham. The staff at ALL these stations are in my opinion dedicated professionals doing a sometimes difficult job. They work hard, particularly in the mornings, and any cut in their numbers by closing ticket offices will impact on the public inside the station and will inevitably lead to a less satisfactory and impersonal service.
Frank, North Harrow or Pinner to various destinations.

Millions of pounds have been spent on North Harrow station and my point is this: It is a travesty to invest all this money doing up stations if it is then the intention to close the ticket offices and cut the staff on duty. Not only will this not be in the customers’ best interests but we all know what happens to stations that are not properly staffed. They get vandalised and taken over by the antisocial elements of our society. For this reason as well not wanting to lose the great customer service at North Harrow, I totally oppose the plan to shut this, or any other, ticket office.
Mr A. Solanki, North Harrow to Tonbridge.

The closure of the ticket offices and replacement by mechanization is yet another dismal step towards a society in which human contact and communication with one another is being steadily eroded only to be replaced by machines, computer screens and disembodied voices. Speaking as a regular commuter, I know I am not the only one who appreciates James Bond’s announcements which bring us up to the minute travel information and news on the whereabouts of our train. He and the other regular members of staff at North Harrow are unfailingly helpful, courteous and friendly. The prospect of such an outstanding team being broken up if the ticket office is closed is not a happy one. All of us must sign the petition and fight all we can to prevent it.
Lesley, North Harrow to St John’s Wood.

I would like the Mayor of London to answer this question with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. Does he think that by closing the ticket offices and cutting the number of staff on duty at all the out-of-town stations it will enhance the passenger’s wellbeing and improve the quality of service for the people who are on these stations waiting to catch trains? Last summer, when the threat to the ticket offices was first made public, I came to the conclusion it was motivated by a desire to cut costs and was the start of a long term policy to cut staff numbers. Delaying the decision until after election day is what politicians and bureaucrats do. Closing ticket offices, like closing post offices, will not help the customer at all, but then the people in charge don’t exist to help people like you and me.
David, North Harrow to Hampstead Heath.

How dare the people running the Underground use the Oyster Card as a reason to try and justify the closure of ticket offices all over London. I am a frequent user of the Tube system and do not want to see fewer staff around in the mornings and my local ticket office closed down. If I am forced to use a machine or buy my ticket online, will my train fares be reduced to match the reduction in service I will receive when the ticket office is closed and the staff who used to work in it have been removed from the station?
Abdul, North Harrow to Wembley Park.

I trust Bob Blackman, the London Assembly member for Brent & Harrow will continue the good work he started last summer by backing the new petition opposing the closure of the North Harrow ticket office, and, if he is elected again, he will demand of the Mayor of London (Boris or Ken) that the plans to shut the ticket offices are shelved once and for all.
Amanda, North Harrow to Euston Square.

I have been travelling from North Harrow to East London to work for seven years now, and I really value the excellent service we receive from our station ticket office. Every morning, we are greeted and concisely informed of the latest travel information on the London Underground. On days with delays, that information becomes all the more vital to help us plan our journeys and reduce the stress.
What we have at North Harrow ticket office is a bit more of the personal as well as helpful customer service.Not everyone who uses the Tube is making daily journeys to work, and I find it touching when James, our man in the ticket office, reminds these passengers of the routes to take and then wishes them a pleasant trip over the speaker.It’s clear that people do want a face to speak to, not just another machine.
Anthea, North Harrow to Mile End.

When my train is delayed or does not arrive I claim a refund by using the Customer Charter system. When the voucher to the value of my fare arrives I go to the ticket office and either have it loaded on to my Oyster Card as extra pre-pay or it is used as a contribution towards the cost of my next weekly or monthly travelcard. This is an efficient way of doing business, and for me the customer, it is quick and hassle free. For this reason and for everything else that the ticket office does for me in the morning I support your petition 100%.
Mr B. Mistry, North Harrow to Holborn.

I will be signing the petition opposing the closure of the ticket office at North Harrow. I will also be writing to the Mayor of London and the Underground board of directors to let them know about the incredibly high standard of customer service we the passengers receive at this station each morning and are in danger of losing.
Amita, North Harrow to Canary Wharf.

Seeing smiling staff at North Harrow station is a wonderful way to start a dreary work day. Without them, how will we be made aware of the daily delays and cancellations? Who will then advise us of the best alternative route to get us into work? And where will we go when the Oyster Card reader tells us to ‘seek assistance’ and the ticket gate stays shut and bars our way? Having friendly and extremely helpful staff is about the only thing that makes the arduous journey somewhat bearable. I urge everyone to sign the petition to save our ticket office and the very important and valued service it provides for us.
Sapna, North Harrow to Seven Sisters.

I have been travelling to London for almost 40 years and I have always relied on the ticket office as I find it quite difficult working the ticket machine. I have always had excellent service from James, who even remembers my name. It is a pleasure to be served by him and I must also add that James is just fantastic when he wishes us a pleasant day over the Tannoy and says have a great weekend. I have never in all my years of travelling had such professional service and excellent information regarding any delays on the trains. The ticket office must not close,as I rely on it every morning.
Susie, North Harrow to Great Portland Street.

The announcements at this station each morning are helpful, informative, sometimes humorous, but always clear and concise. Why can’t every station have an announcer, and not just a recorded voice, who is so dedicated to serving the people waiting for their trains?
Zareena, North Harrow to Sloane Square.

I travel daily into central Harrow. The presence of the ticket office is not only useful for those days I am travelling further afield and need advice but also for the friendly announcements about trains and whether they are on time or any problems are occurring. Taking away the ticket office would make those using the Tube for short journeys consider taking their cars instead. It would also impact on the security of the station and have a knock on effect for tourists using the Underground as without this service they would feel neglected. London's Underground is famous for being easy to use and for having properly staffed stations where you can make enquiries. I hope North Harrow's ticket office is not closed as this would have a detrimental effect on those who travel from this station.
Fuad, North Harrow to Harrow on the Hill.

The Mayor of London says that because staff are no longer needed in ticket offices they are being moved in to ‘customer facing positions’. If being accessible to the public at a ticket window is not customer facing, I don’t know what is. The Mayor claims to use the Underground on a daily basis so he ought to know better. I suggest he comes down to North Harrow or any of the other stations along the Metropolitan Line so he can see for himself the true value of having an open and active ticket office working hard for the passengers every morning rush hour.
Nimisha, North Harrow to Liverpool Street.

We are constantly told that record numbers of people are travelling on the Tube these days, so it seems a mockery to simultaneously cut the number of staff on duty at the stations. I would have thought that ticket offices were more relevant today than ever before with the rise in the number of Oyster Cards being used, the complexity of the Oyster fare structure and the high failure rate of this so called smart card technology. But London Underground is apparently content to shut ticket windows all over London, thus depriving the public of the one place that can really assist them. Instead they leave the hapless passenger at the mercy of the useless Oyster help line. What an appalling way for a company to treat its customers, but sadly it’s all too common in this day and age.
Lauren, North Harrow to White City.

Thank you for asking me what I think about the issue of closing the station ticket offices. It should however be the Mayor of London, and the board of Transport for London who should be asking me instead. They won’t of course because they know how much opposition there is to the closure plans, a point perfectly illustrated by the size of last summer’s petition outside North Harrow station. I want the ticket office to remain open so the needs of the customer, their well being and security can be properly catered for. I also think the machine-only option for the station should be resisted otherwise it will inevitably lead to a non-staffed station. I urge everyone to sign the new petition and would like to thank the campaigners for standing up for the wishes of the people.
Manesh, North Harrow to Oxford Circus.

I really wish the men and women with responsibilities for transport in London would actually spend some time talking to the passengers at stations as they wait to catch trains. They would then start to understand that there is widespread opposition to their plans to close ticket windows and cut back the staffing levels at stations out here in the suburbs.
Maureen, North Harrow to West Finchley.

I started buying my train ticket from the newsagent but I wish I hadn’t bothered. On two occasions, despite asking the newsagent to put a weekly ticket on to my Oyster Card, he loaded an amount of prepay equal to the value of the weekly ticket instead. I ended up going to the ticket office at the station so they could correct the newsagent’s mistake. Doesn’t Transport for London give any training in how their products should be sold to these incompetent amateurs? My advice to everyone: go to the ticket office for your train tickets and go to the newsagent for a newspaper.
Anton, North Harrow to Fulham Broadway.

I want to tell you about the brilliant customer service I received from the North Harrow ticket office. Recently I started working in Bromley, south east London, two days a week and up to this point I very rarely used any form of public transport. The man there gave me a Tube map which he had marked up with all my interchanges to get me to Victoria. Not only that, but he advised me that I should then board the fast Kent coast service to Ramsgate with the first stop being Bromley South (the station I wanted) to get me across London in about an hour-and-a-half (delays permitting). He also sold me the best value ticket for my entire journey, a 1 to 5 peak travelcard. Yes, he was just doing his job, but in my view he went beyond the call of duty to help me get from A to B. I am appalled this kind of brilliant customer service will be lost if the ticket office shuts.
Derek, North Harrow to Bromley South.

A very lovely touch to the station are the individuals who work there and the way they always care about us, the passengers. Myself, close friends and family all appreciate the platform announcements which do bring smiles to people’s faces and can put you in a much better mood even when there are delays and cancellations.
Natalie, North Harrow to Marble Arch.

It defies belief that a proposal to diminish the service at this station is even considered at a time when we are all constantly being urged to switch from our cars and use public transport. In fact this completely ignores commuters’ wishes and expectations and is purely based on what it costs and ignores the quality of service benefits. The proposal will result in a deterioration in service, an increase in frustration and vandal damage. It will not be welcomed by women and elderly people who gain significant confidence from an open ticket office. It’s particularly frustrating, given that this ticket office evidences all the characteristics of the correct and proper way to run a station, with announcements, travel advice, early warnings of delay on other lines, etc., together with that extra care and attention and service that makes North Harrow Station a `performance marker` against which all other ticket offices should be judged. Transport for London this deliberate downgrading of a vital service cannot be done!
Mike, North Harrow to Farringdon on the 07.00 train for years.

I did not realise until very recently that London Underground ticket offices can sell you single and return tickets to hundreds of destinations throughout southern and south east England. I think the man at North Harrow told me you can buy a direct ticket as far west as Exeter and Yeovil. Why is this not more widely publicised because this is a real benefit to the customer who can then avoid a long queue to buy another ticket at the central London mainline station? This is a wasted business opportunity for London Underground who should be looking at ways to enhance the service the ticket office can provide, rather than closing them down.
Alan, North Harrow to Blackfriars.

In recent times the banking industry has been forced by ‘people power’ to listen to what their customers want by putting less emphasis on automation and remote call centres. Transport for London should take note and realise that just as the customer who walks into a bank wants service from another human being, the customer who walks into a station also wants people around who can deal with ticketing issues as well as telling them when the next train will arrive. I shall sign the new petition outside North Harrow and I strongly urge everyone else who uses the station to do likewise.
Ramona, North Harrow to High Street Kensington.

I attended the so called ‘consultation’ meeting in central Harrow last summer when the threat to the ticket offices first came to light. It was apparent then, as it is now, that London Underground had no intention of listening to the public’s opposition as they presented their plans as a fait a compli. Their representative even had the cheek to say that as the ticket window was only open for a few hours in the morning, ‘the passengers would hardly notice any difference if it was closed’. The arrogance and ignorance of this LU jobsworth was breathtaking. But anyone and everyone who gets on board a train, however infrequently or otherwise, should sign the petition in the coming weeks because, believe me, if the ticket offices close the next stage will be to make staff responsible for two or even three stations at any one time, which by the very fact that you cannot be in two places at once will mean one of the stations will always be unmanned.
Adam, North Harrow to Borough.

Anyone who uses a station regularly will know that the ticket machines often do not work. Sometimes the bank note gets stuck or a coin becomes jammed in the mechanism. Without a properly working and accessible ticket office there will be chaos leading to anger, frustration and significantly, missed trains. Even the yellow Oyster Card readers fail to work as they should, let alone the Oyster Card itself. I appeal to the Mayor of London and the good men who manage the Underground day to day, to think again and cancel the ticket office closure plan.
Peter, North Harrow to Liverpool Street.

Closing the ticket offices and having just one member of staff on duty at the station at the height of the rush hour is a dangerous step to take. The Underground bosses have not thought through what they are contemplating. What if there is an incident on the station? It does not matter whether the incident is major or minor, because the single member of staff will have to deal with it and abandon anyone else who may require assistance. I was on a Jubilee Line station not long ago one morning, I think it was one of the days when the whole line packed up, and the passengers were left helpless when the member of staff went off down the track to ‘look at a signal’.
Rashmi, North Harrow to Crossharbour.

I'm absolutely appalled that London Underground and the Mayor could contemplate closing our ticket office. The ticket office at North Harrow is a total necessity for any commuter travelling on London Underground. We use it to buy our Oyster Card top ups and to get journeys resolved and other problems sorted out, we use it to find out about possible delays and disruptions and to receive travel advice. Most importantly, we have friendly and helpful staff on hand for security and peace of mind. And you want to take all that away? If you're serious about improving London Underground, listen to users of North Harrow station and leave the ticket office and its staff intact.
Seema, North Harrow to Great Portland Street

In almost 40 years of commuting, most of it by train and Tube, I cannot think of even one example where the reduction of staff has improved the running of a station. Now I learn that most stations on the Metropolitan Line beyond Harrow on the Hill towards Amersham and Watford will have just a single member of staff on duty right through the morning rush hour if the Tube bosses get their way and shut the ticket offices. Don’t they (London Underground) have a duty of care towards the thousands of people who arrive at their stations every morning?
Mr W. Cutler, North Harrow to Westminster.

London Underground says it is moving staff out of the ticket offices and putting them on to platforms and next to the ticket gates so that they are more accessible to the public. But what it doesn’t say is that in order to achieve the extra staff presence at the bigger central London stations it is actually going to take staff away from stations like North Harrow to make this happen. I would have thought that the safety, security and customer service requirements, which are only properly addressed by having enough staff around were just as important to the passenger at North Harrow as they are at Notting Hill Gate? Obviously the Tube bosses think not.
Madeeha, North Harrow to Notting Hill Gate.

I am all in favour of places like Baker Street, Waterloo and other large central London stations having more staff on duty, but this should not be achieved by a universal cull of staffing levels at the stations on the outskirts of Greater London. To turn the majority of stations north of Harrow on the Hill in to one-man outfits in the morning peak is negligence on a grand scale and to do this by closing down the ticket offices is an act of absolute folly.
Joe, North Harrow to Waterloo.

It happens again and again: trains depart earlier than they are timetabled. I arrived on the station in time to catch the 08.16 train only to find out that it had left at 08.14, two minutes early! What is the purpose of having a timetable if you ignore it? This is no way to care for the customers. I had a conference to attend and was made late because of this early running train. We get such good service from the ticket office staff about the trains in general, but Transport for London does need to sort out why so many trains are leaving earlier than published rather than using the Oyster Card as a reason to close the ticket offices down. Keep our ticket office open!
Dave, North Harrow to Aldgate.

Some years ago, LU installed (presumably expensive) new information signs on the platforms at North Harrow as part of a much-hyped "station improvement" scheme. But the only "information" they ever convey is that we are on the southbound platform of the Met Line and the time, for the odd person without a watch.
Nothing useful is ever displayed, such as when the next train is due, where it is going, or if it a "fast" or slow service, or if there are any delays or other problems. Meanwhile, an automated voice emanating from some TfL bunker, repeatedly patronises us with warnings such as jumping in front of a moving train is dangerous and instructions such as "when travelling on the Underground, please keep all you personal belongings with you at all times".
Things are much better in the morning rush-hour, when the admirable James Bond keeps us up to date with how the trains are running, where the next train is and when it is due, as far as he is able because, apparently, sometimes even he is kept in the dark. Closing the ticket office in the morning rush-hour would mean axing this vital service as well and leaving passengers totally uninformed, as they are for the rest of the day.
And as for the promise, made by TfL at a public meeting in Harrow last year, that the current ticket machines will be replaced with new ones that won't ever go wrong, the twerp who dreamed up that propaganda lie either lives in a fantasy world or has no shame about patronizing people who pay his/her wages. Can anyone tell me of any other business that goes out of its way to prevent customers paying for its goods or services? If TfL does close all the ticket offices, it must, in fairness,also sack all its inspectors because, otherwise, many honest people who desperately want to pay for the privilege of travelling on overcrowded, freezing cold, unreliable, dirty trains will face being prosecuted by the very organisation that has made it impossible for them to do so.
Charlie, North Harrow to Farringdon (and many other destinations).

My wife and I travel Monday to Friday to our destinations, Canary Wharf and Bayswater, respectively. We find the ticket office staff very courteous and most helpful, they will always go one step further to resolve your query and give sound advice. In particular they advised my wife to purchase the annual Oyster ticket early (before the New Year fare rise) to save money. The announcements made each morning are very clear, very informative and very helpful, especially during train disruptions. The station is always kept clean and tidy thanks to the hard working lady cleaner. Cutting the number of staff available in the morning at the ticket office will create anger and frustration with the general public and will have an adverse affect on the remaining staff as well.
Hasu, a zone 1 to 5 Oyster Card holder.

The majority of staff I encounter, not just at North Harrow but at other stations along the Metropolitan Line, are helpful, polite and courteous. They often do a thankless task in providing excellent customer service day after day and are often first in the firing line from disgruntled commuters when they have to explain the absence of any trains. I do not want to see the stations manned by a lone member of staff in the morning rush hour which at times will put the safety and security of both the member of staff and passenger in jeopardy so I fully support the petition to keep the ticket offices open.
Ben, North Harrow to Aylesbury.

No consideration has been given to the passengers who pay with Customer Charter vouchers. Stopping off at the ticket office when I arrive at the station in the morning is both an easy and convenient way to top up my Oyster Card when I have been sent vouchers through the post. Shutting the ticket office at my local station means I and everyone else will have to queue up at one of the busy inner-London stations that are lucky enough to have a ticket office not to have been closed down. Closing ticket offices is NOT in the customer’s best interests.
Sonika, North Harrow to Canning Town.

Living an equal distance as I do between North Harrow (a properly staffed Tube station) and Headstone Lane (a neglected suburban station), I sometimes travel from the latter so I can change on to a fast train at Harrow & Wealdstone to get to Euston. But I dread to think that North Harrow will go the same way as Headstone Lane where there is often nobody available to help you, the announcements are pre-recorded and are of no relevance to what is actually happening and the commitment to passenger well-being is non-existent.
Mubareka, a zone 1 to 5 Oyster Card holder

I strongly object to the closure of the ticket offices, not just at North Harrow but at all other stations on London Underground’s hit list. Don’t they realise the message they are sending out by abandoning their stations, which at best will have a single member of staff on duty at the busiest time? They are saying that they don’t really care about the humble passenger and what kind of customer care (if any) they will get, and they are also unfortunately sending a message to the undesirable element in the community that the stations are no longer as secure as they should be.
Francis, North Harrow to Whitechapel.

John Betjeman will be turning in his grave at what is being planned for the stations in his beloved Metroland. The towns and villages that grew up alongside the Metropolitan Line which gave us the stations all the way to Amersham, Chesham, Uxbridge and Watford were intended to serve the communities, not become the faceless, unfriendly and fearful places they will become if a) the ticket offices close; b) the station is served by only one person, and which will eventually lead to c) the station being completely unmanned. We are NOT scare mongering because this is what the powers that be want to happen. Act now and protest before it’s too late!
Ron and Gloria, who have been using the Metropolitan Line for almost 50 years

Please put on record my appreciation of the excellent customer service I receive from the staff at North Harrow each morning. In particular I want to acknowledge all the work done by James Bond, especially his generosity in keeping us all informed via the Tannoy on platform two of the whereabouts of the next train and for telling us where the delays are occurring. His occasional humorous comments when things are not going to plan really do help to ease the tension I experience when the train has not arrived and as a consequence I am going to be late for work.
Rakhee, North Harrow to Oxford Circus.

We think that North Harrow is the friendliest station on the Underground. We recently moved in to the area from another part of London and have been commuting from North Harrow for the past five months. Previously arriving at Tube stations did not merit a moments thought or comment but starting our journeys from North Harrow is a breath of fresh air. The customer service is truly outstanding and nothing seems too much trouble for the ticket office staff. They sort out problems with our Oyster Cards, keep us informed about the trains over the public address and provide a service with a smile. We cannot believe the Underground want to shut this ticket office and deprive so many of their customers this fabulous service. We will definitely sign the petition.
David and Vanessa, North Harrow to Canary Wharf and Bank, respectively.

James Bond’s cheery announcements have made us all at North Harrow feel part of a community, a family almost, and I think that is quite rare in this city of ours.
Sheila, a regular commuter on the 09.00 to Aldgate.

Thank you for asking me to air my views on the planned closure of the ticket office at North Harrow. I certainly want it to survive for the same reasons as everyone else, I suspect. It solves ticketing issues with the minimum fuss, is the central point for enquiries, it makes all the announcements about the train service each morning and so obviously is the eyes and ears of the station by keeping watch via the closed circuit television as we wait for the trains. And last, but by no means least, the staff who run the ticket office really care about the people who use the station and they demonstrate a devotion to duty that is often unheard of in this day and age.
Eileen, North Harrow to Paddington.

My Oyster Card failed to work again so I phoned the ‘help line’. I wasted three quarters of an hour of my life waiting in a queue only to be greeted by some sarcastic man who then told me off for touching in twice on the yellow reader at the station. When I tried to explain that I had not done so, the sarcastic individual continued to berate me for not using my Oyster Card in a proper manner. I wanted to tell this man, who was so obviously lacking in any people skills, where he could stick the Oyster Card, but I just bit my tongue because I was determined not to sink to his level of rudeness and pig-headed ignorance. Instead I headed for the station ticket office, but on arrival I was told that it was closed until 6.30am the following morning. Tube bosses do not seem to give a damn about their customers, and my Oyster Card still does not work!
Anjana, an Oyster Card pre pay user.

We really want to thank the staff at North Harrow station for putting up notices next to the ticket machines and on the ticket office window advising everyone not to buy their usual weekly and monthly Oyster Cards with the prospect of more Tube strikes looming. This initiative in persuading customers to load just enough pre pay for the remainder of the week on to their Oyster Cards, instead of buying a period ticket and then finding there are no trains running the following week, was an example of the caring customer service we have at this station each morning. Last time the Tube was shut down by industrial action it took ages to reclaim the extra days that were lost because of strikes. I wish the attitude of the staff, and their dedication to customer service that we have here at North Harrow could be replicated right across the Underground.
Lesley, Harry, Deepa and Shane, regular passengers at North Harrow.

In the ‘old days’ there were queues at ticket offices because the range of tickets you could get out of the automatic machines was very limited. Now, whenever I travel through Underground stations at the height of the morning rush hour I notice there are always queues to use the ticket machines. At least the ticket office can ‘rescue’ the often flustered commuter by giving them the option of a faster, as well as a person to person service. Closing them down will lead to frustration and resentment, and it demonstrates that Transport for London only pays lip service to its boast of wanting to look after its customers. A world class service? Don’t insult me anymore.
Gareth, North Harrow to Canary Wharf.

Speaking as someone who commutes from North Harrow station on a daily basis, I can clearly see that my fellow travelers need an increase in the level of assistance available, not a decrease. There is also a big problem with North Harrow station in that it has no mobility facility for disabled travelers. Closing the ticket office and cutting the staff members available for assistance would completely fail to address either issue.
Councillor Sasi Suresh, Headstone South Ward.

Whilst it is both unfortunate and annoying to have to start a new petition to stop the ticket office closures, I can well understand the need for it. As both, Chairman of the local Headstone Residents' Association (HRA), and as a long-term user of the local railway station for more than 60 years, I fully support the aims and objectives of the proposed course of action. You may print that the HRA fully supports the object of the petition, which includes a decent and normal level of customer service from the railway, and furthermore, we would like to see the ticket office open for business throughout the time that the station is open to the public and the trains are running.
Richard Williams, Chairman, Headstone Residents’ Association.

Shutting down the ticket offices is just another attack on our way of life. Ditto: post offices, police stations, the Watford to Brighton railway line and the threatened closure of the cancer centre at Mount Vernon Hospital, to name just a few examples that the population here in Harrow feels strongly about. The problem is that the majority of us are too well mannered to do anything about it. We let the authorities walk all over us and treat us with contempt. If this was France there would be blockades and mass demonstrations as everybody would take to the streets to vent their anger. But this is England where you are a bit more reserved and are far too polite for your own good. Vous devriez avoir honte! (Shame on you!)
Marco, North Harrow to Kings Cross.

A few weeks ago I read in the local paper that the Post Office just around the corner from me is to be closed. Now I learn that, despite last year's massive petition, North Harrow ticket office is under threat again. I am also informed that the Mayor of London is going to lead a campaign to save the Post Offices on the grounds that their planned closure will cause inconvenience to many and, significantly, is being done against the wishes of the people. So why does the Mayor back the closure of the ticket offices, choosing instead to ignore the wishes of the thousands of passengers who signed last summer’s petition?
Brendan, North Harrow to Luton.

Why aren’t the passengers being consulted about these ticket office closures? After all, it is all of us in our millions who pay to keep the Underground running through our fares and taxes who will suffer the consequences when there is nobody readily available to help us. This closure policy is a disgrace and you can see that it will eventually lead to every station having no ticket office facilities at all. The Mayor and the Underground board need to be held to account over this.
Stephen, North Harrow to Charing Cross.

As usual, Transport for London in its dictatorial manner is imposing the wholesale closure of ticket offices on to the public transport user, whether we like it or not. I have yet to meet anyone who says this will make the stations function better. In reality, the reverse will happen and passengers will be left to fend for themselves with everything from ticketing problems to finding out why the train has not arrived. I don’t for one moment believe their claims that staff are simply being moved from the ticket offices to make them more visible around the station. This is a policy about cutting staff numbers at the so called smaller stations all over the Underground. Stop misleading us, Transport for London, and tell us the truth.
Narendra, North Harrow to Waterloo.

North Harrow is one of the few stations I feel relaxed about using every morning. The staff are excellent and can be relied upon to help us when required to do so, and the information about the state of the trains that we receive on the platform is second to none. They not only tell us when things are going wrong, but often suggest helpful alternatives, such as where to change on to other lines and what buses to catch if the service is really bad. The pride that the staff at this station takes in doing their jobs should be commended at the highest level. None of our local stations should see any reduction in their ticket office staff numbers, least of all, North Harrow.
Priya, North Harrow to Bond Street.

It is typical of the mentality of this country that when something works so well and so obviously benefits everyone concerned, then along comes ‘some bean counter with only an abacus for a brain’ and declares this good service must cease because it is deemed uneconomical. The threat to the North Harrow station ticket office is a case in point. I wonder if the Mayor of London in his big glass office near Tower Bridge or the Underground bosses closeted away at 55 Broadway realise that if they continue to pursue the closure plan for this ticket office based on such narrow criteria as ticket sales alone, then their own reputations will be sullied in the process. All power to James Bond. Your station needs you and so do the people of North Harrow!
Stephanie, North Harrow to Lambeth North.

Charlie Harris, spokesman for the website, 3449sayno.com, would like to thank everyone for expressing their views and concerns about the ticket office closures and for sharing their experiences about using North Harrow station. Acknowledgements to the Harrow Observer for the letters reproduced.