Liberal Democrat Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon asked Mayor Boris Johnson if he would commit to ensuring that the Barking to Gospel Oak Line is electrified before the end of his Mayoral term. His written response is printed below:

I strongly support the electrification of the Gospel Oak to Barking Line, which would permit the introduction of longer London Overground passenger trains, and bring significant benefits to the UK rail freight industry.

However, the commitment you seek can only be made by the Department for Transport and Network Rail, as the line is part of the Network Rail network. TfL (Transport for London) has offered a contribution to any funding package, reflecting the benefits for Overground services, but to date the balance of the required funding has not been forthcoming from the Government.

TfL continues to make the case for this scheme.