Boris Watch

Some parts of Boris Johnson’s transport policy are rather easy to implement - Ken Livingstone and Peter Hendy have already done it.  Take the extension of Oyster PAYG to National Rail, previously covered on BorisWatch here, when, just to remind you, the PR guff in the Standard was:

Sweeping plans to get all overground railway stations in London to accept pre-pay Oyster cards were unveiled by Boris Johnson today.

The Mayor announced he was meeting private train operators for a crucial summit in the next few weeks in a bid to achieve a transport breakthrough Ken Livingstone had failed to deliver.

You’ll recall we pointed out that Livingstone had delivered on that, with about a third of the network done.  The 1990s privatisation, enthusiastically supported by Boris, means that you have to work with a large number of different organisations (TOCs, ATOC, DfT, Network Rail), many of which are more interested in the bottom line and winning the next franchise than in meeting Mayoral aspirations, so allowance has to be made for the size of the co-ordination task.  Also, the DfT is, of course, run (for now) by a Labour Government which won’t benefit politically from the expansion, assuming Boris continues taking the credit for everything.

The latest TfL Board papers give us an insight into this process.  Commissioner Peter Hendy’s statement includes the following section:

The expansion of Oyster on National Rail services across London remains on course for general launch in 2009.  The work required at 240 National Rail stations includes the installation of around 1,100 Oyster validators, over 600 ticket gate upgrades, ticket machine upgrades, together with supporting software and other back office changes for the expansion in the volume of transactions.  This has been achieved by continuing the software programme while awaiting Pay As You Go agreements signature, and by commencing installation on First Great Western.
The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) have now submitted their Pay As You Go fares proposals (the fares that customers would pay on National Rail) to the DfT for approval. Subject to the DfT’s decision, signature of the Pay As You Go agreements is now expected in July 2008.  The fares proposals are broadly acceptable to TfL.

Note ‘remains on course’ and ‘continuing the software programme’, which implies it was already being done when Boris took over.  They’re doing the technical stuff, in other words, ahead of getting the Train Operating Companies to put their collective John Hancocks on paper.  Also note that the signatures are expected *this month*.  So where does this leave Boris’ great rail summit?

Mayor’s summit with Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC)

Planning for an event has commenced.  It is the intention to discuss a range of rail initiatives designed to bring benefits to passengers, including the roll-out of Oyster on National Rail, the harmonisation of passenger standards (fares and information) plus interchange security and policing.  Those invited to attend will be senior representatives from the different train operating companies whose routes serve London.

That’s it.  It’s still being planned, it’ll be just for the TOCs (not Network Rail, who run the major stations and own the infrastructure?  Not the DfT, which writes the TOCs franchise specs in increasing detail?).  It’s strongly on the cards, therefore, that far from achieving a crucial breakthrough, the Mayor’s chinwag with the rail suits will come after they’ve all signed up to PAYG anyway.  Once again Boris delivers before he even starts work!

Of course, there are other things on the agenda, like transport security, but there Boris has another Ken-era example of how to do it, right under his nose:

Ten London Overground stations have been recognised as helping to reduce crime through good design and management and have been awarded Secure Station status. When TfL took over the Overground network in November 2007, a passenger survey revealed that almost a quarter of passengers believed the service was too dangerous to use. TfL’s introduction of staff at stations during running hours and the network-wide upgrade programme has resulted in a recent survey by the British Transport Police finding that almost 82% of passengers now feel they are safer on the stations.

The only extension to the Overground model on the cards is the ELLX Phase 2 takeover of the line from Clapham to New Cross (aka the South London Line) which should be funded and in progress by now, but isn’t.  It’s essential mainly because when London Bridge is closed for rebuilding the current service will have to close unless the necessary works are done to route it onto the East London Line Phase 1.  Keep an eye out for it.

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