Surrey County Council has given a cautious welcome to Transport for London's (TfL) announcement that it will take over responsibility for rail routes wholly within the capital.
The devolution measure has also been backed by the Urban Transport Group - formally pteg - of local authorities.
Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin and London Mayor Boris Johnson (21 January) announced plans for the Department for Transport (DfT) and TfL to work together to create 'a more joined up rail network' in the capital.
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London Overground a 'success' - (but don't charge a phone on it)
Possible improvements include the creation of a London Suburban Metro service, which could see four out of five stations served by a train every 15 minutes.
Surrey’s cabinet member for environment and planning, Mike Goodman, said: ‘With four Surrey services among the top 10 most overcrowded trains in the country we welcome any plans that boost businesses and improve journeys.
'But we need to be clear that any changes will increase capacity in Surrey and won’t have a detrimental impact on rail fares or passengers using services coming from much further afield, which is why we’ll work with TfL to ensure that our firms and residents see improvements as well as Londoners.’
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.’
He added: ‘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.’
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