Afternoon:
10°c
Safer stations
All rail firms will be forced to invest in safer stations when their franchises come up for renewal, Lord Adonis pledged.
He praised the Standard's campaign for better passenger security and said future licence negotiations will insist stations serving the capital are manned whenever services are running.
CCTV will become mandatory on trains and at stations. "I would look to introduce similar requirements, including on CCTV and station staffing, on other rail franchises serving London.
"I see this as absolutely crucial for railways because people will not travel on them if they do not feel safe late at night."
The Standard has campaigned for safer stations since the 2006 murder of lawyer Tom ap Rhys Pryce after he left Kensal Green station.
Crossrail
London's long-awaited East-West link is guaranteed despite the recession, the minister pledged.
"Obviously the public finances are under pressure but we see it as absolutely vital." He said there were no doubts about the finance promised by the City and Mayor. "It was Ken's scheme, but Boris has taken it forward and he has not flinched from the decision needed on the supplementary business rate."
Pay as you drive
Road pricing is ruled out for the whole of the next Parliament, the Transport Secretary said.
"We have a public duty to investigate the technology, but we have no plans for road pricing."
He added: "I'm certainly not in the business of penalising people for using cars."
Tube strikes
He appealed to the RMT union to call off future strikes.
"I call on the RMT to be responsible. Londoners depend on the Tube to get to work and they don't want strikes."
However, he would not endorse Boris Johnson's election promise of a strike ban for the Underground. "That's entirely for him."
