One guest at the event told Sir Sadiq he felt his company was “losing the battle” in its attempts to persuade workers back into the office, due to the high cost of rail fares – particularly for those commuting from the Home Counties.
The mayor blamed private train operators for overseeing a series of above-inflationary fare increases, stressing he had tried to freeze Tube and bus fares whenever possible.
He added he and his City Hall team had lobbied the Department for Transport to consider “innovative” ways of making rail travel more attractive for commuters in and around London.
In separate remarks, Sir Sadiq admitted he was still “annoyed” that HS2 would not be travelling further north than Birmingham, after the project’s northern leg was axed by then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in 2023.
Since taking power last year, the Labour government has refused to commit to reinstating plans for a route as far as Manchester, although it confirmed that trains will reach Euston station, rather than terminating at Old Oak Common in west London.
The government has been contacted for a response.
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