The county council has expressed "overall support" for a bid by Transport for London (TfL) to run rail services between Moorgate and three Hertfordshire stations.

TfL already operates a limited number of London Overground services in Hertfordshire, running to Watford Junction in the west and Cheshunt in the east.

Now it has formally asked the Government for permission to take over local rail services between Moorgate and stations in Stevenage, Hertford North and Welwyn Garden City.

This week (November 12) executive member for environment, transport and growth, Cllr Paul Zukowskyj, has written to the Secretary of State to express "overall support" for the proposed transfer to TfL.

In that letter, he highlighted improvements in service frequency, train quality and staff presence that followed the takeover of services to Watford Junction and Cheshunt by TfL.

He said the council would "welcome these benefits being extended to the Moorgate routes".

He suggested the council would support the TfL proposals "as a catalyst for wider investment in Hertfordshire's rail network."

But he stressed that the Moorgate services were a "key component" of enabling residents to access central London for employment, leisure and other purposes, as well as providing local public transport links.

He set out several "caveats" to the council's support – highlighting areas around governance, station improvements, strategic transport investment, strategic development and the use of Oyster.

Cllr Zukowskyj suggested the council would wish to have formal involvement in the governance of the route.

In particular, he said the council would wish to see an equitable split of investment and resources between services and stations inside and outside of the Greater London boundary.

"The proposed increase in train frequencies is welcomed and forms a key reason for the county council's support," says Cllr Zukowskyj.

"And hence we would wish to see measures which ensure that there is minimal risk of future service reductions at Hertfordshire stations."

The letter also seeks a commitment from TfL or the Department for Transport to deliver station improvements set out in the council's Rail Strategy, which focus on step-free accessibility and sustainable transport links.

And it asks for a commitment that TfL would support the Stevenage Gateway, which includes the rebuilding of Stevenage station, and the HERT rapid transit system, which it says would likely use the forecourt at Hatfield station.

The letter also raises the issue of ticketing, assuming, it says, that a takeover of the Moorgate services would extend the Oyster boundary to additional stations in Hertfordshire.

"While this provides additional ticket purchase options, it potentially creates additional confusion at stations such as Stevenage, where Oyster will be an option for some services but not others," says Cllr Zukowskyj.

"We ask that the DfT ensures that there is a full roll-out of contactless ticketing at Hertfordshire stations before or coinciding with any transfer of services to TfL.

"This should also include the full range of functionality with contactless payments. for example, the support of railcard discounts."

The proposed takeover was also highlighted at a meeting of the council's environment, growth and transport cabinet panel last week (November 5).

At the meeting, Liberal Democrat Cllr Nigel Taylor raised concerns that ultimately TfL may prioritise services within Greater London.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued by TfL, TfL's director of spatial planning Lucinda Turner said the organisation had a "proven track record" of making rail services "better and more reliable".

"We welcome the Government's news that as part of its growth mission, Crews Hill and Chase Park have been short-listed as new towns," she said.

"Improved public transport connections are key to fully unlocking this opportunity, and it reinforces the case for devolving responsibility for London rail services to Transport for London (TfL) as detailed in the Mayor's Transport Strategy.

"We have a proven track record of making rail services better and more reliable, leading to economic benefits and improving services for millions of commuters and unlocking thousands of new homes.

"We are keen to work collaboratively with the Secretary of State for Transport and have begun engaging with officials regarding Great Northern."