Transport secretary Chris Grayling is facing calls from his own party to stand down after he was accused of putting “party politics” ahead of improving services to passengers.

Mr Grayling, MP for Epsom and Ewell, was also accused of breaking a government promise to “give control of London’s suburban rail lines, like Southern, Southeastern, and South West, to Transport for London (TfL)”.

From Tuesday: 'Bitterly disappointed': TfL will NOT be taking over Southeastern train services

The transport secretary formally rejected the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan’s bid to take over commuter routes operated by Southeastern on Tuesday. Labour Mayor, Mr Khan in turn accused the transport secretary of breaking the government’s promise from January.

From January: Transport for London announce takeover of London's suburban rail services

Conservative MP Bob Neill then called for Mr Grayling’s resignation as transport secretary on Wednesday, following the emergence of a leaked letter, in which the Epsom and Ewell MP expressed his desire to keep suburban rail lines “out of the clutches of any future Labour Mayor”.

Your Local Guardian:

Mr Neill (pictured above) told BBC’s The Daily Politics: “I think he has compromised his position and he should resign.

“It is clear that as far ago as 2013 there was a certainty that he would oppose any devolution of rail franchises to a Labour mayor. He was doing it for party political reason.

“When he came to the House of Commons and said he was doing it for financial reasons that was not the truth.

“I think a minister who has done that is not fit for office.”

Your Local Guardian:

Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, Mr Grayling said that Mr Khan’s proposed rail devolution would be the “biggest operating change on this railway since the 1920s”.

The Epsom and Ewell MP added: “We can deliver improvements through partnership, but we must remember that that partnership is not just about London.

“We need to design a franchise structure that delivers improvements for everyone.”

Your Local Guardian:

Responding to the announcement, Mr Khan (pictured above) said: "The only proven way of improving services for passengers is giving control of suburban rail lines to TfL.

“Anything short of this simply won't make the improvements desperately needed.”

He added: “Commuters across south London and the commuter belt are understandably furious after the government broke their promise to make commuter rail services more frequent, reliable and affordable.”

From today: Transport secretary blocked TfL's suburban trains takeover to keep commuter routes 'out of Labour Mayor's clutches', leaked letter suggests

In a letter leaked to the Evening Standard, Mr Grayling wrote to then-Mayor, Boris Johnson, about the “possibility of TfL taking on responsibility for a number (of) rail services in the London area, but outside the Greater London boundary”.

It read: “While I am generally a great supporter of what you are doing in London, I would not be in favour of changing the current arrangements – not because I have any fears over the immediate future, but because I would like to keep suburban rail services out of the clutches of any future Labour Mayor.”

Your Local Guardian:

Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, Mr Grayling (pictured above) said that Mr Khan’s proposed rail devolution would be the “biggest operating change on this railway since the 1920s”.

He added: “We can deliver improvements through partnership, but we must remember that that partnership is not just about London.

A government source close to Mr Grayling reaffirmed his position that handing over control of suburban rail lines to TfL would make operators unaccountable to passengers from outside of London.

When asked for a comment on Mr Neill’s calls for his resignation, Mr Grayling’s special adviser said that he would decline to comment.

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