Following the Transport Secretary’s recent statement on the poor performance and unsustainable financial status of South Western Railway, Navin Shah AM, Chair of the Transport Committee, said:
“The Transport Committee and the London Assembly as a whole, have time after time called for the devolution of suburban railway routes in London, such as South Western Railway, to Transport for London.
“South Western Railway is clearly underperforming and its financial status is not sustainable in the long term. The franchise model is clearly not working and Londoners are being short-changed when it comes to the service that is being run.
“Londoners deserve better. With the London Overground, we have seen first-hand how drastic improvements can be made to a line, when it is managed and run by TfL. We want to see the same again with other suburban rail routes across London.”
Notes to editors
- Statement from the Transport Secretary on Southwestern Railway performance
- Navin Shah AM, Chair of the Transport Committee, is available for interview – see contact details below.
- London Assembly Transport Committee.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
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