Let Down by London - Labour London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, can't be asked about his Committment to Hertfordshire!

Nor, it appears, is he prepared to explain why he has gone back on his own aspiration to take over transport connections outside London that lead into the capital.

At last week's Hertfordshire Council Meeting the Liberal Democrat Leader of the Opposition, Stephen Giles-Medhurst, asked the Council Leader for an update on the Metropolitan Line Extension intended to link Watford Junction with the London Underground system.

The Leader of the Council, David Williams, confirmed that he had written as agreed on 15th February, jointly with the Mayor of Watford and the Chairman of the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership to the Mayor of London.

The letter expressed the deep disappointment of Hertfordshire County Council and the other two signatories that the Mayor of London had decided not to honour the commitment made by the Mayor of London's Office to deliver the project within the funding package agreed in 2015.

Hertfordshire County Council, Watford Borough Council and the Hertfordshire LEP will now be reviewing options for improving transport in this part of South West Hertfordshire and how best to protect the corridor identified for the project for future transport initiatives.

Meanwhile, HCC officers are in discussions with the DfT and then Transport for London on how previous funding contributions can be returned.

No reply had been received by 27th March.

Last year London Mayor Sadiq Khan set out a business case for more suburban rail services to be transferred to Transport for London.

The principle of these transfers was agreed by the Government in January 2016 and the Mayor presented his business case for four groups of services.

South East London (franchise ends June 2018)

South Central London (franchise ends September 2021)

South West (current franchise now ended)

North Central (franchise ends September 2021)

Now Sadiq Khan's aspirations, his business case, his agreement with the government of January 2016 and his commitment to Hertfordshire are all set aside. And not a word from Chris Grayling, the Secretary of State for Transport!