Sadiq Khan expects TfL 'negotiations' with Labour over cash for London Underground, bus and rail pledges

Sadiq Khan has said that he would 'negotiate' and have 'adult conversations' with a Labour government over investment in Transport for London (TfL), if one were elected at the next general election, as he aims to deliver a long list of transport pledges in his third term. Repeating his expectation that he would not get a 'blank cheque' from Rachel Reeves, if the Leeds MP were to become Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Mayor of London said that he has already been explaining to her the importance of making sure the capital has 'long term funding' to develop its infrastructure.

Mr Khan promised a fully zero-emission London bus fleet by 2030, a 'Superloop 2' network of express bus services, to bring London's buses under public ownership, to work to secure the funding for expanding the Night Tube to four more lines and to create a 'revolutionary metro-style' railway system for London commuters.

Asked if he anticipated any fights between himself and Ms Reeves, Mr Khan first described the 'progress' that he has made while in the job, mentioning the delivery of the city's first Night Tube and Overground services and the Superloop, the Elizabeth line, zero emision buses and taxis, the Northern line extension and the Overground extension to Barking Riverside.

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Mr Khan also said that new trains will be arriving on the DLR 'soon', as well as on the Piccadilly line. The Central line, he also noted, is getting revamped trains.

Repeating a request he has made numerous times, the mayor said that London needs, whether the next government is Labour or Conservative, the mayor added, was 'long term investing in capital for TfL'.

"Because if we get long term funding," Mr Khan said, "we can get better deals with the private sector. Whether that's trains or buses or so forth."

Mayor having 'collegiate' talks with Reeves

The mayor added: "There will be a negotation. Rachel Reeves, if she becomes the Chancellor, ain't going to write me a blank cheque. That's unreasonable for me to expect that. And so, I've been trying to explain to Rachel, in a collegiate way, if we get electric buses in London, not only does it help us deal with climate change and air quality, but it helps jobs around the country.

"Electric taxis help jobs around the country. These trains are built around the country. So, those are the sorts of adult conversations that I wish we'd have with the current government, and I'm looking forward to having with the next Government."

Asked whether this means that he can't guarantee that all of his pledges will be delivered over the next four years, Mr Khan answered: "I can't guarantee a blank cheque, no."

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