TfL to take over key commuter rail routes out of Liverpool Street Station

The Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) today welcomed the Government’s decision to devolve the operation of a number of commuter train services running between Liverpool Street station, six London boroughs and Hertfordshire.

TfL will take over routes that run from Liverpool Street station to Enfield Town, Cheshunt (via Seven Sisters) and Chingford, which include 25 stations in total. This follows work by the Mayor and TfL to set out the benefits of devolution in the model of London Overground, which has proved a huge success since TfL took control at the end of 2007.

Of the 25 stations, TfL will become responsible for 23, while two larger stations (Liverpool Street and Cheshunt) will remain the responsibility of Network Rail, or Greater Anglia. A wide range of improvements will be made by TfL, improving the service for many thousands of people – including:

• Station refurbishments – deep cleaning, renewal of broken or damaged equipment, and re-painting will be carried out;
• Improved reliability – TfL will use better incentives (like on London Overground) that encourage the operator to run services on time, and will financially penalise poor performance;
• Improved security – help points and CCTV will be brought up to modern standards at all stations;
• Better passenger information – the service information provided to passengers will be improved as it is brought under TfL’s range of popular travel news information, including improvements to on-system and online information.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “You only have to look at the success of London Overground to see how TfL taking over this commuter service will transform the journey for passengers. It will also open up the North-East of London and drive jobs and growth in Tottenham and beyond.”

TfL’s Managing Director for London Rail Mike Brown said: “We are pleased that the Department for Transport has agreed to devolve rail services to TfL so that we can make improvements for the thousands of passengers using Liverpool Street to Enfield Town, Cheshunt via Seven Sisters, and Chingford services.

“We will make these services more reliable, upgrade facilities at 23 stations along the routes and ensure we are fully accountable to our passengers. There is much work to be done to ensure a transition of responsibilities in 2015 and also to establish a close working relationship with Greater Anglia so that where we share tracks, we are able to operate efficiently.”

The decision to devolve the services comes after extensive consultation between TfL and Hertfordshire County Council and was announced in the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review.