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Mayor's Boris Island plan killed off TfL takeover of Southeastern Metro services
Paul Corfield wrote:
On Wed, 10 Jun 2015 15:20:25 +0100, Basil Jet wrote: On 2015\06\10 12:46, Paul Corfield wrote: On Wed, 10 Jun 2015 09:53:25 +0100, Mizter T wrote: So suggests this report, based on a meeting of the London Assembly's Transport Committee - Kent County Council being the active objector to the TfL rail takeover plan in revenge: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-33066006 Hopefully it'll be an idea that'll surface again in the future - so long as TfL does a good job on their new West Anglia metro routes. The webcast from the session certainly confirmed Kent's viewpoint. I suspect there were other issues too but this is politics at its worst. However the reps from Kent CC and Surrey CC were much more positive about devolution of some services to TfL *provided* there is proper involvement for them in the decision making process and the scope. Kent set out some "red lines" but the TfL rep present was confident they could be dealt with sensibly or where already controlled by the ORR (the old fear of TfL stealing train paths for trains into Kent). Kent certainly wanted to see Oyster extended into Kent so that was a positive thing. TfL said they would be very happy to work with both Counties in respect of the next franchising round and sorting out what lines / services would be devolved and where the boundaries are. I felt it was positive overall. Are Kent holding out because they want Crossrail to come to them, perhaps? No. Crossrail was not mentioned at all. Bizarrely they seem very happy to have HS1 and with South Eastern generally. Rather shows where the franchise priorities are - i.e. not on Metro services. They seem keener now provided the following are met :- a) TfL add capacity at peak times by lengthening trains to the permissible longest length. They don't want train paths reallocated from "their" trains to Metro routes. b) There is no "theft" of train paths from "their" services to TfL ones. This is impossible because ORR control track access. Obviously if there are spare paths and TfL bid for them and South Eastern do not then that's a different scenario. c) There are no adverse or perverse issues relating to fares. They didn't want fares to rise in Kent to somehow "pay" for TfL's takeover. Also they didn't want TfL to introduce cheap fares that then created a shift in commuter patterns causing traffic congestion issues and localised parking problems in the vicinity of a "cheaper" station. Given the DfT have effectively hobbled TfL's ability to lower fares anyway (other than removing the Zone 1 add on fare) this is pretty much a non issue. Kent CC also had a specific question about whether the Metro services that currently run on to Gravesend and Gillingham would be TfL operated or remain with South Eastern or if the service pattern would change. Clearly there wasn't a specific answer to that given. My sense was that these are either non issues because of existing industry controls / processes or else could be solved through discussion. It's over to TfL to try again and hopefully keep people on side. I still think the spectre of airport policy will hang heavy given the government have not set a deadline for responding to the Airports Commission and Boris won't give up either. I thought Boris Island had already been removed from the list of airport extension options under consideration? There are three options on the short list: Gatwick, or the two Heathrow proposals. |
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