BRENTWOOD train station will soon be manned “from first until last trains” when it is run by Transport for London from next May – part of the preparations for Crossrail.

TfL will take over the running of the station from Abellio Greater Anglia, after it was announced that Hong Kong–based company MTR Corporation was awarded the £1.4billion contract to operate the Crossrail service from Shenfield, to Reading from 2017.

Under the new running, MTR has said all stations between Liverpool Street and Brentwood will be manned from the first to last train, and that stations will be “cleaned and refreshed”.

A spokesman added: “Disabled people needing assistance will be able to turn up and go, with no need to pre-book assistance, as staff will be fully trained and equipped to assist customers, as is already the case on the London Underground.”

Brentwood station is currently staffed 6.10am to 8pm Monday to Saturday, and 7.10am to 8.10pm on Sundays.

Crossrail confirmed the Brentwood section of the network will be the first part of the service to operate the new rolling stock designed for Crossrail. Shenfield will continue to be run by Great Anglia due to the fast service it operates to and from Stratford.