Could converting some of London’s rail routes to busways be the answer to commuters’ prayers?

Think-tank the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) thinks so, claiming such a move could reduce fares by a whopping 40 per cent and create more seats for passengers at peak times.

The IEA says travel times would be the same, if not shorter, through the creation of a busway system on which express coaches would run.

A report envisages 150 express coaches each seating 75 people operating on commuter rail routes in the morning rush hour.

It says: "Heavy subsidies, rigid state control and powerful interest groups have distorted the industry, resulting in alternative modes of transport being ignored despite their often huge potential for improved capacity and cost reduction."

The IEA points to schemes in Latin America and Asia that have been successful, while in the UK there is already a 16-mile busway which uses old rail routes to link Cambridge, Huntingdon and St Ives.

While passengers may dream about cheaper fares and getting a seat, the busway idea has not been well received elsewhere.

A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators and Network Rail (NR), said: "Phenomenal growth in passenger numbers means that operators and NR now generate some £9 billion of income which covers the day-to-day running of the railway.

"The £4 billion that government invests through NR supports its capital programme to improve rail infrastructure, creating more capacity and helping to deliver faster, more reliable journeys."

Campaign for Better Transport chief executive Stephen Joseph said: "The IEA's report is based on fantasy numbers and bears almost no relation to the real world.

"Turning popular and well-used commuter railways to busways simply would not result in the claimed economies or cuts in fares. What it would do is jam up London and other cities while adding greatly to noise and air pollution - problems the report largely ignores against all recent scientific research."

A Department for Transport spokesman said: "We have no plans to replace rail routes with express busways. As part of our long-term economic plan, £38 billion will be invested in the rail network over the next five years because it is the most economically effective way of transporting large numbers of passengers.

"Fares have an important role to play in this investment, but we recognise passengers' concerns about the cost of travel. That is why we have frozen regulated fares at inflation for the second year in a row."

What do you think? Are busways worth considering as a way to improve London commuters’ lives? How else would you go about improving transport in the capital? Add your comments below.