Midlands councils bid for control of rail services
Councils in the Midlands have asked the Government to give them control of rail services – and fare levels.
Fourteen authorities, including Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, have set up a consortium – West Midlands Rail – which they want to be the public body responsible for passenger services once train operator London Midland's franchise ends in 2017.
The councils met in Stafford to sign a proposition that is now being sent to Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin. They believe devolving powers from central government to the West Midlands would create a better railway for passengers and bring more jobs.
They say having more responsibility for the West Midlands franchise would help them lay down minimum standards of service, including punctuality and reliability and hold the train operator to account. They would also be able to set fares and manage stations.
The submission follows an approach last year by the Department for Transport which asked English regions for their thoughts on taking over the commissioning and management of local rail services.
