TravelWatch: City Hall should have greater say over rail fares

London’s passenger watchdog says the Mayor of London should have a greater role in setting National Rail fares.

The call by London Travelwatch comes as train operators announced average fare increases of 6.2 per cent from January.

Currently the Mayor, through Transport for London, sets the fares for the Tube, buses, DLR and London Overground but not other rail services operating in the capital.

City Hall and TfL have already set out plans to have a greater role in running rail services in the city, a development the Mayor says would save money and drive up standards.

London TravelWatch Chair Sharon Grant said: “Passengers want simpler, more transparent fares and giving the Mayor of London more influence over the setting of National Rail fares in and around London would allow this to happen.”

TravelWatch noted that fares on the TfL controlled London Overground service enjoyed a value for money score 16 points higher than the National Rail average in the most recent National Passenger Survey.

London Overground is also regularly one of the UK’s best performing rail services and enjoys high levels of passenger satisfaction.

In a separate intervention, Labour’s transport spokesperson on the London Assembly has called on Mayor Boris Johnson “to bear down on London’s transport fares” in the wake of the National Rail increases.

The Mayor implemented a series of fares increases in his first term and during this year’s election said any cuts would threaten investment in the capital’s transport network.

Labour’s Val Shawcross has called on the Mayor “to urgently look at ways of minimising fare increases in the capital and help hard-working Londoners.”