Fears about the proposed closure of a railway station ticket office have been calmed by the train operator.

Active Radlett resident Clive Glover initially told the Herts Advertiser about plans to close the ticket office at Radlett rail station, which he and other residents feared would mean the loss of staff at the station.

But Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), the service provider, has since explained that the closure was part of the modernisation of 80 stations across the country.

A GTR spokesperson said: “We want to bring staff out from the ticket office onto the concourse where they can be easily accessible for passengers.

“As station hosts, they will be available to help passengers with all aspects of their journey, including helping to sell tickets from ticket machines and their own handheld devices.

“These stations will be staffed from the first train in the morning until the last at night, seven days a week. This will mean that important station facilities such as toilets and waiting rooms can also be available for longer.”

Clive said: “I think this might not be as bad as we first thought, and may be even good for the station, but I’ll have to wait and see before I form any strong opinions”.

The changes are going through public consultation which began on Monday (22).