Labour councillors have branded a proposal to close a ticket office as “gobbledygook”.

South Oxhey councillors Stephen Cox, Joan King and Stephen King wrote a letter protesting Arriva Rail London’s plans to close the ticket office at Carpenders Park station.

London Overground ticket offices across the north of the city and others including Watford High Street and Carpenders Park are under review because they fall below the Department for Transport’s “busy” threshold.

Offices must surpass 12 ticket sales per hour to remain viable.

A statutory consultation between Arriva Rail London (the London Overground operator), London TravelWatch and rail industry bodies concluded on October 11.

The Labour councillors told TravelWatch their proposal was “gobbledygook”, that no one wanted their ticket office to close and that their assurances for staff were “not worth the paper they were written on.”

They also rejected the reliability of the train company’s ticket machine data over a “relatively short time span”, the consultation’s “weak detail” on proposed staff numbers and the availability of assistance to customers, and staff training.

Labour added: “There is a significant elderly population served by the station. The ability to purchase a ticket from a human being and be served at a counter rather than being potentially at the mercy of a ticket machine is a great comfort to many.”

Labour Councillor Stephen Cox said: “There are a considerable number of unexplained issues that arise from the publication of the consultation document which call into question the wisdom of closing the booking office and there is a failure to provide a compelling case for just such an outcome.

“Given the unanswered questions we submit that the case for closure is not proven and that Arriva Rail London should either withdraw their proposals or see them hit the buffers.”