Staffing every station first to last pre-dates FFtF(S), and was standard practice on LT. Any bluff about it around FFtF(S) was exactly that, frankly - a way to convince the public that no stations would be left unstaffed. The reality is that plenty of stations have been left unstaffed on a daily basis since 2015 - and recent changes are only likely to compound the problem.
For the avoidance of all doubt - as the issue still seems to be confused - “staffing every station”, irrespective of surface or sub-surface, is a choice by TfL and not a legal requirement.
However, TfL are legally mandated, by law, to ensure that all “sub-surface stations” - and this can include some, like Farringdon, which are not technically underground but have an overall covering - meet a minimum staffing requirement. If stations go below minimum numbers they
must close.
These regulations apply to all underground railway stations, including e.g. Merseyrail.
Looks like they managed to gather up enough bodies to allow Elizabeth line services to call at Bond Street, TCR, Farringdon and Liv. St. in the end then.
These stations were always expected to be open during the day - they all, however, opened late and will close early, exactly as predicted.
I'm puzzled as to why Network Rail/GWR have cancelled the West Ealing - Greenford trains this week whilst there is still a service on the Central Line between White City and West Ruislip with the stations open?
This is a decision by GWR ultimately. As I said last week - again, aside from early morning and late evening - it was always expected that Greenford, South Ruislip and West Ruislip would be open during the day.
For what it’s worth some of the Met line Chiltern services have also been stopping additionally at all the usual stations once they were opened.
Priv has always been a contentious point, it’s not suddenly cropped up out of nowhere. The pre-/post-96 element is a red herring and should be discarded, although there is a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding out there even amongst some local reps.
Priv has always been put forward as part of the annual pay claim, but it has now raised its head as TfL offered it as part of the 2023 Pay Deal. The wordings were always quite weasly, but it was taken by most to be a confirmed and deliverable prospect by 1 April 2025. As there has been no meaningful movement for front line staff on “further travel benefits” it is seen to be a breach of the 2023 pay claim.
This was never going to be on the same basis as pre-96 staff, for the avoidance of all doubt, and the expectation was either TOCNE or the NR Leisure Priv.
