On 14 December 2011 the project was given approval by the Department for Transport at an expected cost of £115.9 million with a proposed completion date of January 2016, later revised to 2020. The planned closure of Watford station met with some local opposition, and campaigners lobbied for the station to remain open with a reduced shuttle service. A report compiled in 2012 by the transport watchdog London TravelWatch concluded that the opening of new stations on the route would mitigate any inconvenience caused by the closure, and that a minority of passengers would experience an increase in journey times of more than 15 minutes. It also recommended that a shuttle train service should be trialled, and that in the event of closure a bus service should be provided from Cassiobury to one of the new stations.