News today that the UK rail regulator is to investigate Network Rail has been welcomed by the London Assembly Transport Committee.
Network Rail is accused of poor punctuality and reliability on some of the country's busiest commuter routes.
Valerie Shawcross CBE AM, Chair of the Transport Committee said;
“It is absolutely right that Network Rail are being opened up to greater scrutiny. We’ve experienced a complete fiasco at London Bridge this year and it was beyond frustrating to see how slow they were to respond to the concerns of passengers.
“We want to see Network Rail working well and fulfilling its obligations to commuters in the capital. But this must start with an open dialogue about where they need to improve and a willingness on their part to be more publicly accountable.”
“We were deeply concerned about London Bridge and although things seemed to have improved now, it was simply not quickly enough. This demonstrates the need to review how rail is run in London, which is why we are investigating whether the Mayor should have a greater role.”
Notes for Editors:
Further information on the Rail Devolution investigation is here
Valerie Shawcross CBE AM, Chair of the Transport Committee, is available for interview – see contact details below.
London Assembly Transport Committee
As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
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