Centro welcomes rail devolution debate
GOVERNMENT proposals that would put more control of the local rail network in the hands of the West Midlands have been welcomed by Centro, the region’s transport authority.
In unveiling a rail command paper, transport secretary Justine Greening announced a consultation on the devolution of power from Whitehall to local transport authorities.
Centro believes that greater local control can result in better rail services focused on the needs of passengers.
The West Midlands rail network is currently operated by private company London Midland under an eight-year franchise which it signed directly with the Department for Transport in November 2007.
But today’s announcement could pave the way for future franchises to be controlled locally. At the moment only two areas, London and Merseyside, have control over their local rail networks.
Centro chief executive Geoff Inskip said: “We believe that having more power over rail services sitting here in the West Midlands can bring real benefits to passengers.
“As we have seen in Merseyside and London, rail devolution can lead to more investment, more reliable services and networks that better reflect the needs of local economies, helping to underpin growth and job creation.
“Given a similar funding package, we can improve services in the same way in the West Midlands.”
Centro, which has been lobbying hard for rail devolution in recent months, believes giving control to regional authorities will make rail services more responsive to local needs and passengers’ views.
The authority also argues that devolution offers the prospect of better integration with tram and bus, and ultimately for London-style, smart and simple ticketing across all parts of the public transport network.
Inskip added: “Whilst we recognise that these are tough times and it will not be possible to transform services overnight, we will need a fair deal from national government on costs and risks to make devolution work for both passengers and the West Midlands economy.”
He said Centro would also be discussing opportunities with those authorities bordering the West Midlands metropolitan area so that devolution brings benefits throughout the wider region.
