A consultation by the Department for Transport (DfT) found that 70 per cent of respondents were in favour of giving local transport authorities more control over rail services in their region.
In March, the government launched the consultation ‘Rail decentralisation’ to gauge the level of support for handing more responsibility over rail travel to sub-national bodies.
The DfT received feedback from local transport authorities, community rail partnerships, train operators and MPs.
Rail Minister Simon Burns said: “We are determined to provide the best possible rail services for passengers and ensure that we reduce the cost of running our railways.
“Ensuring decisions are taken by those best placed to make them – those who live and work in those areas – could make certain not only that services are planned to maximise value for money for taxpayers but that passengers get services they need and want.”
The consultation also invited proposals from bodies interested in taking over some of the decision-making responsibilities for rail travel in their region.
The DfT has said it will now enter informal talks with the ‘Rail in the North’ group, Centro and Transport for London (TfL) after receiving expressions of interest.
Back to the future? Passenger Transport Executives, more local Metro organisations and a greater role for London Overground seem far removed from current DfT control freakery.