Bringing London commuter railways under TfL control 'works together' with Government's plan

Commuters disembark a train at Waterloo railway station
-Credit: (Image: Jason Alden/Bloomberg via Getty Images)


A transport minister has said that Sadiq Khan's plan to bring some London commuter National Rail services under Transport for London's (TfL) control 'entirely works together' with the Government's programme of country-wide nationalisation. Labour plans to create Great British Railways, once again bringing the country's railways under public ownership after they were privatised in the 1990s.

During the London mayoral election campaign on April 26, Mr Khan pledged to bring suburban London railway services under TfL's control, creating a 'revolutionary metro-style' system. Labour's manifesto for this year's General Election stated: "We will [nationalise the railways] as contracts with existing operators expire or are broken through a failure to deliver, without costing taxpayers a penny in compensation.

"Great British Railways will deliver a unified system that focuses on reliable, affordable, high-quality, and efficient services; along with ensuring safety and accessibility. It will be responsible for investment, day-to-day operational delivery and innovations and improvements for passengers, working with publicly-owned rail operators in Wales and Scotland."

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Keir Starmer (L) and Simon Lightwood (R) applaud on a street
Simon Lightwood says the Government will 'continue to engage' with Mr Khan -Credit:Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

It has previously been reported that the Government would 'snub' the Mayor's idea. The Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh, told The Financial Times in the summer: “Under Labour’s plans for publicly owned passenger rail, as franchises expire, they would come under Great British Railways’ control."

Now, local transport minister Simon Lightwood told MyLondon that the Government would ‘continue to engage with Sadiq [Khan] on any proposals he brings forward’. He was then asked if he foresaw any clashes as regards the Government’s plan.

Mr Lightwood said: "I think what we're trying to build in with Great British Railways is make sure that our mayors have a statutory input into that, and that they have some influence over Great British Railways as well. So I think it entirely works together."

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