Friday, July 12, 2013

I?d give Mayor new powers for commuter railways, says Labour?s Maria Eagle

She also hit out at the Government over the new high-speed rail line, accusing ministers of ignoring the concerns of Londoners at the blight it will cause in the capital.

In an interview with the Evening Standard, she was dismissive of Boris Johnson?s plans for a Thames Estuary airport, although did not rule it out as a solution to Britain?s aviation needs. But she pledged to work with the Mayor of London after 2015, if she is Transport Secretary, to ?make the devolution of the capital?s commuter rail services a reality?.

She said concerns over fares, overcrowding and reliability would be given ?greater priority? if Transport for London could award franchises. This could also allow Oyster cards to be used across the South-East.

But would services improve? ?I think they would. You?ve had, where you have seen it, a renewed focus on stations, on investment in rolling stock ... it enables integration with other forms of transport,? added the senior Labour MP.

?The experience of rail devolution has been very positive ? significant gains in performance and passenger satisfaction.?

'The experience of rail devolution has been very positive': Maria Eagle (Picture: Glenn Copus) ?

In words which may alarm some train firms, she also raised the prospect of not-for-profit companies ? such as the Government-owned Directly Operated Railways, which runs the East Coast mainline ? taking over franchises in the South-East.

?I don?t think it makes much sense for London?s suburban rail service to be divided into ten different parts,? she said.

?It leads to confusion on fares, ticketing, significant differences in performance, different peak times, some services take Oyster, others don?t.? She said locally awarded contracts could also deliver better value for money, with a ?crackdown on money lost in excess profits?.

Clearly not a fan of some train companies, Ms Eagle is considering tearing up the timetable for awarding key South-East franchises after the 2015 general election as part of her vision to ?reshape Britain?s railways?.

She pointed out that South Eastern services, ?which are not particularly liked or popular?, are not up for renewal until June 2018, while the South West Trains franchise is not due for renewal until 2019.

I don?t think it makes much sense for London?s suburban rail service to be divided into ten different parts

Transport for London was recently given control over services from Liverpool Street station to Enfield Town, Cheshunt and Chingford on the West Anglia network, but Mr Johnson?s bid to run South Eastern services has so far hit the buffers after running into local opposition.

Ms Eagle said the Mayor had failed to convince community leaders outside the capital that he would act on behalf of their rail users.

?They were particularly worried that their commuters would end up just having more stopping services, rather than commuting straight into the centre of town,? she said.

To address these concerns, Ms Eagle is proposing a Rail South East governance body, which would include the Mayor and representatives from across the region to oversee train services and ensure they serve all communities.

'Hopelessly inadequate': current plans on linking HS1 and HS2, according to Ms Eagle (Picture: Glenn Copus) ?

She dismissed plans to link the HS2 rail line to HS1 ? the fast track for Eurostar trains ? along a section of the north London route as ?hopelessly inadequate?.

?The real case for getting the connection between HS1 and HS2 right, rather than getting a very sub-optimal solution, is the opportunity to run brilliant new modern trains like the Javelin all the way north without people having to change,? said the MP for Liverpool Garston and Halewood.

?It needs to be rethought so we can devise a solution that not only presents those benefits for the future, but minimises the impact on communities in Camden, while ensuring we don?t miss what is a perfect opportunity to redevelop Euston station.?

Pointing out that the redesign for HS2 now includes more tunnelling after protests about its impact on the Chilterns, she said: ?It does not seem that sufficient attention has been given to the concerns that Londoners and residents in Camden in particular have.?

If the Government and HS2 chiefs fail to re-examine its impact, Ms Eagle pledged that Labour in power would conduct a review which would also look at a better way to link the line to Heathrow and Crossrail 2.

More on transport in London

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On the chances of a ?Boris island? airport emerging from the Airports Commission as the solution to Britain?s needs, she said: ?I find it very difficult to see that as a likely contender.?

As for the plight of Londoners sweltering on the Underground, she said: ?There is a lot of investment going into the Tube ? why don?t they prioritise dealing with this issue? It?s an issue that comes back every summer.?

Source: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/id-give-mayor-new-powers-for-commuter-railways-says-labours-maria-eagle-8702819.html

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