Tube call centre could be moved to India

Fears are growing that the Tube's travel information centre could be moved from central London to India.

Leaders of the Transport and Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) - the Underground's second-largest union which includes managerial employees - says plans to move the call centre from the capital would undermine efficiency and mean the loss of the invaluable local knowledge of its 80 workers, most of whom use the network every day.

Worries about a possible move escalated in the wake of a decision to switch half of all calls to the mainline National Rail Enquiries service to India. Rick Justham, TSSA negotiator and a former Tube call centre employee, said a move to India could cause Tube chaos.

"The value of having call centre workers in London, who use the network daily, is that they won't be confused by enquiries to geographic destinations that defy logic. For instance, the fact that West Ruislip station on the Central line is north of Ruislip, or North Acton on the Central line is east of West Acton.

"There could be mayhem if hundreds of Fulham supporters are directed to Fulham Broadway and end up in Chelsea's stadium instead of White City - or Spurs fans are sent to Tottenham Court Road,which is nowhere near Seven Sisters," Mr Justham added.

He said there was also a safety risk. "How well would call centre workers thousands of miles away cope with giving information in the case of a crash or an evacuation?

"We demand that Transport for London gives a cast-iron guarantee that the capital-based travel information centre won't be swept up in the tide of jobs going to India."

A TfL spokeswoman said there were no plans to move to India - but declined to say whether it had been discussed.