Surrey County Council has issued a wish list of improvements from the next South Western rail contract, including Oyster-style ticketing for all public transport across the county.
The proposed improvements are part of the council’s response to a Department for Transport (DfT) consultation on how the next South Western franchise ‘can deliver the rail services that people want’.
The franchise serves parts of Berkshire, Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, Surrey, Wiltshire and the Isle of Wight.
Mike Goodman, the council’s cabinet member for environment and planning, said: ‘Oyster-style technology is the way forward, making travel simpler and easier for passengers using different types of transport.
'But with rail passenger demand soaring and Surrey's economy packing a £37bn annual financial punch, we also need investment in infrastructure and extra capacity, which is why we are pushing for new stations, a better link from the county to Heathrow and Crossrail 2 that would also bring benefits across the South East.’
The DfT announced last week that Stagecoach, which currently runs South West Trains, and FirstGroup has been shortlisted to operate the franchise from 2017.
The council says the improvements are needed to tackle ‘a potential 40% rise in passenger demand by 2043’.
They include improved rail access to Heathrow Airport, two new Guildford stations, a new track layout at Woking to boost capacity, and better services to London from Camberley, Bagshot and Frimley.
The council has already backed the Crossrail 2 project and argued for it to be extended to commuter towns Dorking and Woking.
