Metropolitan councils seek control over trains
Author: Mark Smulian, LGC |
Metropolitan councils have urged the Government to transfer responsibility for local rail services to them.
The move follows a similar bid by London mayor Boris Johnson in February to take over all commuter rail services in the capital.
Their approach is modelled on the London Overground and Merseyrail networks, where local bodies rather than the Department for Transport award rail franchises.
Integrated transport authorities in Greater Manchester, Tyne and Wear, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and the West Midlands would similarly take over the franchising of local rail services under their proposal.
Mark Dowd (Lab), who chairs the group of authorities, said: ?All the evidence shows that local rail services are better managed locally, rather than from Whitehall.
?It means that rail can be better integrated with tram and bus, and it offers the potential for London-style, smart and simple Oyster-style ticketing across all forms of big city public transport networks.?
He warned though that the councils were not interested in rail devolution ?at any price? and sought a fair deal on costs, subsidies and risks.