Plans to improve rail services for millions of passengers at London’s busiest stations have been submitted to the government in an effort to end the “nightmare” of delays and overcrowding.



The city’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, said commuters had been enduring a bad service for too long. He presented a business case for devolving suburban rail services to Transport for London (TfL), saying it would help create thousands of houses and jobs in outer London while remaining cost-neutral to the government.

The plan would involve TfL taking over running services from franchise owners including Southern, which was hit by another strike this week in the long-running dispute with Rail, Maritime and Transport workers’ union over proposed changes to the role of conductors.

A more frequent, metro-style service would run across London under the proposals, with TfL taking control of inner suburban rail services from London Bridge, Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Moorgate, Victoria, and Waterloo stations. Rail infrastructure in south London has been underutilised, with poor service and increasingly overcrowded services, Khan said.

TfL could use its experience of running the tube and London Overground to substantially improve travel for millions of rail passengers, it was predicted. It would increase services, apply any fares freeze to devolved routes, refurbish stations, install more ticket gates and staff stations all day, ministers were told.

The mayor said: “For too long, London’s rail commuters have been getting a bad service, with nightmare delays, cancellations and overcrowding increasingly the norm on our suburban rail routes. Our plans will not only use TfL’s skills and expertise to improve the daily commute for millions of Londoners, but act as a catalyst for new jobs and homes in outer London.

Sadiq Khan boards a Victoria line train at the launch of the night tube service in August. Photograph: Getty

“Devolution, along with greater collaboration with our public and private sector partners and local communities, will help us deliver a properly integrated transport network across London.

“Rail passengers will finally get the same standard of service and reliability they get on the tube. We’ve set out our compelling case to the government – there really is now no excuse for not pressing ahead with changes that will substantially improve the lives of Londoners.”

Mike Brown, London’s transport commissioner, said: “We have worked hard to deliver better services for our customers on the rail services we control, delivering major improvements and greater reliability. We have taken neglected parts of the transport network and transformed them to support new homes, jobs and economic growth across the capital.

“London Overground has become one of the most popular and punctual railways anywhere in the country. We want to bring this level of service to the wider London rail network – with seamless interchanges, a single fares structure and more frequent, reliable trains.”

The RMT general secretary, Mick Cash, said: “There is a growing political drive for Govia Thameslink Railway to be stripped of their franchise. The mayor should be insisting on full public ownership, as well as public accountability, and should not be handing over rail operations to private [companies] like Arriva, which is due to take over London Overground next month.

“RMT is also seeking a cast-iron guarantee that the mayor will keep the guards on the trains if rail is devolved on services like Southern, South West Trains and Southeastern. We want safety, access and an end to profiteering to be right at the top of the agenda.”