The East London Line is due to reopen soon, newly-privatised and rebranded as London Overground.
This will self-evidently lead to an increase in passengers going through Whitechapel station, both interchanging between the two lines and getting on or off at Whitechapel for a journey to or from one of the many new destinations that people will be able to travel to now the East London Line has been extended.
You might think this would lead to an increase in station staff at Whitechapel. But think again. According to the managements of the two companies, there will be no extra staff, neither Underground or Overground. Whitechapel will have to manage with its existing staffing level, and minimum numbers of just one Supervisor and one other.
Tubeworker reckons that if a station saw a service withdrawn and passenger numbers fall, then management would be quick enough to cut staffing. But what’s sauce for the goose is obviously not sauce for the gander.
While we prepare to fight the approaching job cuts, we should proactively demand additional staff where they are needed - and Whitechapel is just one case in point.
