Boris wants to control every railway in London
BORIS Johnson has made a bid to control every rail service in London as part of an ambitious plan to simplify ticket structures and improve reliability and service frequency.
Johnson said the current “Byzantine fares-setting policy” will be abolished and that his plan could save up to £100m over 20 years by removing the need for private franchisees to build “risk premiums” into their ticket prices.
The Mayor’s proposal would see control of franchises on suburban lines in the capital’s rail network devolved from central government to Transport for London (TfL).
TfL would have direct control over the lines, setting standards before hiring a third party to run the service, following the model of the existing London Overground services.
Johnson has targeted parts of the South Eastern (pictured) and Greater Anglian network as “priorities for devolution” when the existing franchises come up for renewal in 2014.
This would see TfL controlling services outside London to Sevenoaks, Dartford and Hertford.