A TRANSPORT minister has said he is “very interested” in proposals to allow Transport for London (TfL) to take over parts of the beleaguered South Eastern rail route.

Labour’s Matthew Pennycook (Greenwich and Woolwich) asked if the Department for Transport (DfT) would consider allowing TfL, run by the Mayor of London, to take over parts of the route when its franchise comes to an end in the spring.

Responding, transport minister Chris Heaton-Harris said he was “interested” in proposals for rail devolution.

He told MPs: “I am completely focused on making sure that franchise works and whatever might happen on April 1.

“But I am very interested to hear the proposals going forward for devolution of certain areas of South Eastern’s franchise.”

The franchise is due to come to an end on March 31, having been extended after the contest to find a new operator for routes between London, Kent and parts of East Sussex was cancelled last August.

The original tender to find a new operator was put out by the DfT in June 2017.

It comes as Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced on Wednesday that Northern Rail would be brought back into public ownership.