Letter from Boris!

Dear Manuel,

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of LondonPassengers have proclaimed the Mayor's massive investment in London Overground a success by voting it one of the best services in the south east.

This result adds strength to Mayor Johnson’s call this week for increased TfL involvement in other overground rail services in the capital.

Commuters in London said the frequency and reliability of TfL's London Overground network has vastly improved, in the latest independent survey by rail watchdog Passenger Focus.

Passengers also recognised cleaner, safer and more welcoming stations, as well as improved customer information - reflecting TfL's £1.4billion of investment in London Overground since taking over the former Silverlink network in 2007.

The Passenger Focus survey, carried out in autumn 2010, found that:

* Eighty-five per cent of passengers are satisfied with London Overground services overall, up from 82 per cent the previous year. The average figure for south east rail services in 2010 was 83 per cent
* Seventy-four per cent were impressed with the frequency of London Overground trains, up by 14 per cent year on year
* Passengers satisfied with train punctuality rose to 76 per cent, up from 68 per cent in 2009
* Eighty-four per cent said they were satisfied with customer information during their journey, up a whopping 24 per cent on 2009 (65 per cent)
* London Overground's new trains scored 89 per cent for the proportion of those satisfied with cleanliness, up from 67 per cent the year before

Kulveer Ranger, Boris Johnson’s Transport Advisor, said: "These scores illustrate that Londoners have seen real improvements to our Overground services since TfL took responsibility for them".

"However we know that more needs to be done and our constant focus is on driving forward improvements to the transport network. Overground passengers can be assured we will not rest until they are able to enjoy the very best possible services."

Enjoy your weekend,

The Back Boris Team