In summary: Thameslink plans to close the ticket office but the station will be staffed for longer.

• Radlett’s ticket office will close and passengers will buy tickets from the machines or from a new ‘station host’.
• Radlett’s station host will be on duty from 0500-2300 Monday-Saturday and 0700-2300 on Sunday.
• Station hosts will answer questions, sell tickets and help passengers with the existing machines.
• The station hosts will also keep the toilets and waiting rooms open for longer.

Govia, the firm that operates the Thameslink, Gatwick Express, Southern and London Midland lines, is planning changes at about 80 stations across its network, from Summer 2016.

According to Govia’s statement, they’re going to close some ticket offices, change opening times at others and move staff from behind the glass to the new role of ‘station host’.

These are complex changes across many stations but, on the face of it, the outcome looks positive for Radlett – there’ll be someone on duty at the station from the first train until late at night. Here are some of the questions people have been asking, on Facebook and Twitter:

• What will be the effect on queues at peak times?
• Will the portable ticket machines used by the station hosts sell the full range of tickets, including school children’s six-week season tickets, tickets for other networks, Eurostar etc?
• Where will the station hosts spend their time – in the concourse, on platform 1 or elsewhere?
• Will the ticket office still be available for use at very busy times?

If you have other questions, leave them in the comments below and I’ll see if I can get answers direct from Thameslink.

A three-week consultation on the changes starts on Monday 22 February. Here’s how to get in touch and here’s a detailed table of affected stations.

She’s not retiring: she’ll still be working full-time in her other job and will have much else to keep her busy, so I’m glad she’s decided to close the kiosk – it must have been very hard, taking on the business on her own, after Vinu’s death a year ago, even with the help of Sejal and Beejal and everyone else who’s contributed.

So if you’re passing in the next week or so, do stop by and wish Mrs Patel the best of luck. Radlett’s commuters are going to miss her very much.

We learn from Mrs Patel that, thanks to Stuart Nagler at Nagler Wolfson, we’ll have a plaque for Vinu in the waiting room on the London platform at Radlett station. What a lovely idea. It’ll be unveiled at 9 a.m. on 16 June. All are welcome, of course.