• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

MayorWatch

London News and Comment

  • NEWS
  • Twitter

Rail devolution to bring more integrated services for London passengers

January 21, 2016 - Martin Hoscik@MayorWatch

london_overground_station_900Transport for London boss Mike Brown has promised passengers a more consistent and more integrated service after ministers agreed to hand over inner suburban rail routes to the organisation.

Under plans published today TfL will become responsible for all services which operate “mostly or wholly” within the Greater London Authority boundary with responsibility for outer suburban services remaining with the Department for Transport.

The agency has been spent months negotiating today’s deal with the DfT which was recently forced to call on its to help deliver the troubled and over-budget Croxley rail link.

Today’s announcement will mean a dramatic expansion of the London Overground network which TfL has turned from a failing ‘misery line’ into one of the UK’s best performing rail services.

Unlike the franchise system used on most rail routes, the London Overground is run under contract from TfL which sets fares and imposes tough service standards which the operator must meet to avoid fines.

The soon to be devolved lines will be run on the same basis, ensuring that passenger needs are prioritised over the franchisee’s profits.

TfL will invest hundreds of millions of pounds in its new routes to bring them up to the high standards enjoyed by London Overground passengers.

Improvements are likely to include major revamps of stations and the introduction of a new generation of open carriage, air-cooled trains similar to those already running on the Overground.

Brown said he was confident that the money needed to deliver those improvements could be found despite recent cuts in the government’s funding for the organisation and the promise of fares costs by some mayoral candidates.

He told MayorWatch: “Yes, money is going to be tight, it’s always tight,” but pointed to the experience on the North London Line were investment has boosted passenger numbers by “260%” and increased fares revenue.

“That’s what a bit of focussed investment, a bit of focussed drive and a bit of commitment from an organisation can deliver.”

He said passengers would see better integration of Oyster and contactless Pay as You Go as a result of TfL control and that the organisation would look to introduce “a harmonious fare structure across the board because that will make it much less complicated for people using our services.”

Mr Brown said the expansion would mean changes to the network’s branding, with the introduction of new line names to aid passengers in planning their routes.

TfL is considering holding a public competition to help name the new lines which could also be assigned a separate colour on the map to aid navigation and make it clearer where lines join and cross with others.

Mr Brown promised that TfL would ensure it learnt lessons from its takeover of West Anglia services where reliability issues with trains inherited from the previous operator caused some services to be delayed and cancelled in the first few weeks of TfL control.

He said: “We don’t get everything right, we’re not perfect but I do think that having that over-arching controlling mind that brings together London’s transport network in a much more integrated way has got to be good for commuters.”

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Tagged With: Devolution

RECENT UPDATES

Tube and rail users to benefit from Oyster weekly fares cap

Mayor and TfL call on ministers to help plug funding gap

Tube to get full mobile phone coverage from 2024

TfL says Direct Vision Standard is already making HGVs safer for London road users




POPULAR

City Hall to move to Docklands as Mayor seeks to raise £55m for frontline services

‘Concern’ over TfL’s ability to deliver major projects in wake of Crossrail cost overruns

City Hall halts London Overground ticket office closures but many will still see opening hours reduced

Transport for London confirms bus cuts will go ahead despite passenger opposition

GOT A STORY?

As the original London news and scrutiny site we've been casting an eye over the capital's public services and politicians since 1999.

 

Many of our top stories started with a tip-off from a reader - if you've got something you'd like us to cover get in touch and we'll do the rest.

Stay In Touch

  • E-mail
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2022 · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.