Tobyn Hughes, who leads for the Urban Transport Group on rail issues, said:

‘Devolution of responsibilities over rail services has led to better services for passengers, more investment and rail networks that are far more responsive to local needs. London Overground is one such success story and the prospect of integrating more of the capital’s rail network under the TfL umbrella is great news for London and its rail users.’ 

‘The momentum behind rail devolution is growing – Scotrail, Merseyrail Electrics, London Overground and now rail services in the North of England and the West Midlands have already, or will, benefit from the better services that result from the greater focus that devolution brings. Indeed rail devolution is no longer about isolated examples it’s a trend that’s happening right across the network. Which is why it’s important that the current reviews of the structure of the railways map on to a devolving UK and why as the Urban Transport Group we will continue to be front and centre of making the case to extend the benefits of rail devolution in order to support local economies, improve services for passengers and ensure the integration of city region transport networks.’

For more please contact Jonathan Bray on 0781 804 1485

The Urban Transport Group brings together London (Transport for London), Greater Manchester (TfGM), Sheffield City Region (SYPTE), West Midlands (Centro), North East (North East Combined Authority), West Yorkshire (West Yorkshire Combined Authority), Liverpool City Region (Merseytravel)

For more on the case for rail devolution visit this hub on our website