On Feb 20, 12:41*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:

On Sat, 20 Feb 2010 12:16:18 +0000, "
wrote:

On 20.02.10 12:01, Roy Badami wrote:
Subject says it all. *Is London Overground part of the National Rail,
network, or not?

The observation that triggered the question was seeing, on one of the
maps on board a tube train, a station showing an interchange opportunity
with London Overground, but *not* showing the National Rail symbol
against the station name. Which would seem to imply not.

It is part of National Rail, but TfL has the franchise for whatever
number of years.

Not quite correct. *TfL have been given the powers to let and manage the
concession for the Overground network. LOROL are the concessionaire who
operate the service for TfL and have to meet the requirements and
standards set by TfL. TfL also take almost all of the risk on revenue
(i.e. they set and control fares rather than it being a TOC decision)
although LOROL are incentivised to keep fraud levels under control.

The set up is not dissimilar to what applies with the Merseyrail network
where the local PTE has delegated powers to specify and contract the
operation of the local Merseyrail Electrics network.

Though I understand that the operator of the Merseyrail Electrics,
Serco-Nedrailways (or is it now Serco-Abellio?), takes the revenue
risk - though I think the PTE may have taken it under the previous
arrangement when the concession (or possibly still a franchise back
then) was in the hands of MTL then Arriva (via a takeover).