0:00:00 > 0:00:15You can see more on today's stories on the BBC News Channel.
0:00:15 > 0:00:16Good evening from BBC London news. on the BBC News Channel.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20I'm Claudia-Liza Armah. on the BBC News Channel.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23With train fares set to rise next week, a new poll has revealed more
0:00:23 > 0:00:25than half of Londoners believe commuter trains have deteriorated
0:00:25 > 0:00:28over the past year - and that the capital's railway lines
0:00:28 > 0:00:30should be taken over by Transport for London.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32The Mayor has said the findings are a 'damning indictment'
0:00:32 > 0:00:34of the failures of rail companies.
0:00:34 > 0:00:35Nicola Ford reports.
0:00:35 > 0:00:36Strikes.
0:00:36 > 0:00:37Delays.
0:00:37 > 0:00:38Cancellations.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41And, frustration.
0:00:41 > 0:00:442017 has been another difficult year for people on trains
0:00:44 > 0:00:45in and out of London.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48And now that has been reflected in a YouGov poll of 1000 people,
0:00:48 > 0:00:50which reveals 37% thought that National Rail services
0:00:50 > 0:00:56had got worse.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Just 8% thought they had improved and 61% thought that Transport
0:00:59 > 0:01:01for London should have greater control over rail services.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03That's an idea strongly supported by the Mayor of London,
0:01:03 > 0:01:07who commissioned the poll.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10They are fed up of very poor and unreliable services.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Overcrowding, poor frequencies and, of course, rising rail fares.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15I think TfL have shown from their work on the TfL I think
0:01:15 > 0:01:18TfL have shown from their work on the TfL Overground and TfL Rail
0:01:18 > 0:01:20that they can run really excellent and reliable,
0:01:20 > 0:01:29frequent services, and of course maintain the mayor's fare freeze.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32The government says that they will look at transferring services
0:01:32 > 0:01:34on smaller lines to the mayor, but Sadiq Khan would like greater
0:01:34 > 0:01:37control over trains run by South Eastern, South Western,
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Southern and Thames Link.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Weary passengers at St Albans heading back to work this
0:01:43 > 0:01:44morning were sceptical.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46No, I'm not in favour of that at all.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48I think when larger bodies get involved, it causes larger
0:01:48 > 0:01:52problems, generally.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54I prefer the service to keep improving by those
0:01:55 > 0:01:56who are currently running it.
0:01:56 > 0:01:57It is difficult to say.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59To say whether or not it would make a difference,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02it would just be a new owner doing the same thing.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Theoretically, I mean if it would put St Albans on the Oyster,
0:02:05 > 0:02:07it would be amazingly helpful because it is so close
0:02:08 > 0:02:09to London anyway.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11And rail passenger groups think that TfL are well-placed to take over.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14There is evidence from other cities, like in Liverpool, where Mersey
0:02:14 > 0:02:16where Mersey Travel took over the local suburban services there,
0:02:16 > 0:02:17and services have improved.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20We think that combination of local knowledge and local accountability,
0:02:20 > 0:02:22and better connections with the rest of the London transport network,
0:02:23 > 0:02:28make for a really good service.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30The government say they are investing record amounts
0:02:30 > 0:02:32in the railways and decisions on devolution are based
0:02:32 > 0:02:34on what would make journeys better for passengers.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Judging by the poll today, those passengers certainly think
0:02:36 > 0:02:45there's room for improvement.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49A man who was jailed for throwing acid across a nightclub has admitted
0:02:49 > 0:02:50hiding a mobile phone inside the crutches
0:02:50 > 0:02:52he was using while in prison.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Arthur Collins hid the phone, two sim cards and two USB sticks
0:02:55 > 0:02:57while awaiting his trail at Thameside Prison.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59The ex-boyfriend of reality TV-star Ferne McCann was jailed for 20 years
0:02:59 > 0:03:09over the acid attack that happened at an east London club in April.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Several flights out of the capital's airports
0:03:13 > 0:03:16were cancelled or delayed today - after London and the Home Counties
0:03:16 > 0:03:17were hit by flurries of snow.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Sleet and ice also made for dangerous conditions on the roads.
0:03:20 > 0:03:21The heaviest snowfall was in Buckinghamshire
0:03:21 > 0:03:28and Hertfordshire, Caroline Davies was there and sent this report.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31It might look like a Christmas card, but conditions today
0:03:31 > 0:03:33were far from idyllic.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35Torrential rain overnight turned to snow by this morning,
0:03:35 > 0:03:37making roads slippy and occasionally treacherous.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40This car came off the road in Essex, another turned on its side
0:03:40 > 0:03:41in South Buckinghamshire.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44The RAC said its calls were up between 15-20% in south London,
0:03:44 > 0:03:45Hertfordshire and Kent.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Airports were affected as well, Stansted was shut.
0:03:47 > 0:03:57When it did open, flights were cancelled and delayed.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Luton had problems too, reducing the number of flights landing.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02The heaviest snow around London was in Buckinghamshire
0:04:02 > 0:04:04and Hertfordshire, although much of it turned to slush.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Here in Hertfordshire the snow may not have stuck around for the entire
0:04:07 > 0:04:09day but the effects of it did.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11In Aldbury, the Greyhound Inn lost business after customers
0:04:11 > 0:04:16were not keen to drive.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18We've had about 50 people cancelled this morning.
0:04:18 > 0:04:19Three rooms cancelled as well.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22It's a slow day, we do lose quite a lot, especially
0:04:22 > 0:04:29during the holidays.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32In Hertfordshire, 600 tonnes of salt was used, with gritters out
0:04:32 > 0:04:35across the Home Counties and London this afternoon trying to keep
0:04:35 > 0:04:37the roads safe as slush turns to ice overnight.
0:04:37 > 0:04:43Caroline Davies, BBC London News.
0:04:43 > 0:04:52So, will that ice still be causing problems tomorrow?
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Lots of weather watcher pictures coming in of the snow we saw
0:04:55 > 0:04:56earlier. Some places saw
0:04:56 > 0:04:57coming in of the snow we saw earlier. Some places saw a good few
0:04:57 > 0:05:02centimetres. For many others, these no fleeting. It turned quickly back
0:05:02 > 0:05:05to rain. Snow would be a major hazard overnight tonight. Instead
0:05:05 > 0:05:11everything that fell out of the sky, will refreeze on the roads and
0:05:11 > 0:05:14pavements so ice will be a major issue tomorrow morning. Particularly
0:05:14 > 0:05:23on untreated surfaces. A Met Office weather warning out. Tomorrow
0:05:23 > 0:05:29promises to be quite pleasant, the weather nicer than today. Sparkling
0:05:29 > 0:05:32winter sunshine around, blue skies for the most. A lighter
0:05:32 > 0:05:36north-westerly breeze and top temperatures between three and six
0:05:36 > 0:05:40Celsius. Still feeling cold. Another frost on Thursday night into Friday.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43On Friday the air turns Miles, further outbreaks of rain and quite
0:05:43 > 0:05:51windy. It promises to be a mild end to the year. That's it from me.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54We're back with morning updates during the breakfast programme
0:05:54 > 0:05:58tomorrow. Until then, have yourself a very good. Goodbye.