Kent County Council (KCC) has said train fares and services in the county must not be adversely affected by a proposed change of rail operator.

At a meeting held last week the authority discussed a proposal by Transport for London (TfL) to transfer the south-east London Metro train services from Southeastern to TfL’s franchise operation, London Overground Railway.

KCC stated it would not accept any reduction in service levels or detrimental effect on fares.

Matthew Balfour, KCC cabinet member for environment and transport, said these conditions would need to be guaranteed as part of the transfer agreement.

He claimed the change of operator could bring a number of benefits for Kent rail passengers - including the extension of TfL’s Oystercard to Gravesend and Sevenoaks, which has long been a popular suggestion in the area.

KCC said other improvements to services may also be possible - journeys between Maidstone East and London Victoria could become faster with the removal of small stops such as St Mary Cray, as this station would be served by four Thameslink trains per hour.

The changes are expected to come into force in June 2018.