Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, has called on the Government to ‘hand over’ the power to franchise the ‘totally inefficient’ suburban London railways.
The Mayor said he wants the Government to devolve the power to ‘set the standards’ for rail services run by private train companies and integrate them into the Transport for London network.
By adopting TfL’s contracting model, the Mayor believes he can make millions of pounds of savings that ‘could be used to provide more reliable and frequent services, safer and cleaner stations, more staff and simpler fares’.
The Government has said that it is willing to look at flexible ways of franchising local rail services, and it is believed that they will begin a consultation on the possibilities around devolving rail franchises at the end of February.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said:
“The fractured organisation of London’s suburban railways is totally inefficient and needs a complete overhaul.
“My vision is for one integrated suburban service operating to the standards we have demonstrated can be achieved on London Overground, which is now one of the most reliable and popular railways in the UK. “
