An announcement from the Transport Secretary suggests that the Government
is taking seriously the Mayor's demand for more powers over London's commuter
rail network.

Boris Johnson has made various boasts that he would increase both train
frequency and staff numbers at stations. As far as I know, he has not
explained how he would finance this.

Quite apart from any reservations about giving Boris Johnson more control
over anything, does anyone see any advantage in handing over control
to the Mayor and TfL?

Robin9 wrote:
An announcement from the Transport Secretary suggests that the
Government
is taking seriously the Mayor's demand for more powers over London's
commuter
rail network.

Boris Johnson has made various boasts that he would increase both train
frequency and staff numbers at stations. As far as I know, he has not
explained how he would finance this.

Quite apart from any reservations about giving Boris Johnson more
control
over anything, does anyone see any advantage in handing over control
to the Mayor and TfL?

Well, the Overground does indeed offer higher frequencies and manned, tidy
stations. Trains are much, much busier than before, and there's far less
ticketless travel, so revenue should be significantly higher.

Robin9 wrote:

Quite apart from any reservations about giving Boris Johnson more
control
over anything, does anyone see any advantage in handing over control
to the Mayor and TfL?

Well, LO is proving quite successful. I can't see it as too bad a thing to
get more innersuburban type services under that control.

Putting something like the Brighton Line under TfL control might be a bit
silly, OTOH. But there are plenty of services out of the various London
termini that are rather similar in their scope to Euston-Watford DC lines,
which did go to LO.

And there is precedent. Merseytravel controls lines out of its area but in
its commuter hinterland.

Neil
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Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK. Put first name before the at to reply.