A number of underground ticket offices in Hounslow are due to close down between April and December to allow for Transport for London's (TfL) modernisation plans.

Hounslow Central, Stamford Brook and Turnham Green are the first of seven tube stations in the borough to close as part of plans which will see underused ticket offices and back rooms decommissioned and transformed into ticket halls with staff moved to the front-line to help commuters, as part of the TfL's Fit for the Future programme.

However, the move which has been taking place across the London Underground tube network and will result in almost 900 staff cuts, has been condemned by London Assembly Member Murad Qureshi who says passengers will be left paying more money for less staff support, particularly the elderly and disabled.

He said: “I am very concerned about the ramifications of these ticket office closures. This argument isn’t about whether staff are based in ticket offices or not.

"It is about whether there are enough staff in stations to provide the good service people in Hounslow have come to expect, particularly the elderly and disabled who often rely more on station staff for assistance.

“The truth is a staggering £134m of building works and ticket machines won’t make up for the loss of 897 station staff.

"No matter how user friendly a ticket machine is they cannot provide the same level of advice and customer service that staff could.

"Coming after tube fares were hiked for the seventh year running many passengers will wonder why they are being asked to pay more money for less staff support on their journey.”

The closure comes after it was revealed that the Mayor of London's plans to close all the capital’s tube ticket offices will cost taxpayers almost £134m.

Murad Qureshi AM described the cost as “staggering” and said that “£134m of building works and ticket machines won’t make up for the loss of 897 station staff”.

While the stations will remain open for use, ticket offices will be shut down and replaced by ticket machines.

Tube staff will no longer be stuck behind a desk and screen but out in the ticket halls and on platforms equipped with the latest technoloy to help passengers in need, enhanced by the complete roll-out of wi-fi.

The following tube stations in Hounslow will see their ticket offices close for a period of one month:

Works to start between April and June:

Works to start between July and September:

  • Hounslow East

Works to start between October and December:

  • Hounslow West (one-three months)
  • Osterley
  • Gunnersbury station - dates to be confirmed