PASSENGERS will be in danger and jobs will be lost by a transport giant’s controversial cost-cutting plans, union bosses claim.

They are fighting South West Trains’ proposals to slash the opening hours of ticket offices across Hampshire.

The 24 stations facing cuts include Netley and St Denys.

A spokesman for rail union TSSA said: “The planned cuts would leave women vulnerable to attack when they returned to darkened stations at night.”

A South West Trains spokesman said: “This is predictable and disappointing scaremongering and distortion.

“These proposals are designed to reflect the way passengers now buy their tickets.

“The fact is that few stations on the UK rail network are manned round the clock 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

They went on to say the change represented a £12m investment.