Twickenham commuters face “no prospect” of improved rail services if Sadiq Khan is elected as Mayor of London, claims his rival Zac Goldsmith.

The Richmond Park MP has said the Labour candidate could take £2bn from London’s transport budget if elected.

He said: “Half a million Twickenham commuters rely on this rail service every day and there is an urgent need for investment and improvement.

“But there is no prospect of things getting better if £2bn is taken out of London’s transport budget - something Sadiq Khan is willing to experiment with, just like he experimented with the Labour Party, backing [Jeremy] Corbyn for Leader.”

“Boris [Johnson] and this Government have laid the foundation, and I am the only mayoral candidate who will stand up for Twickenham residents - just like I have been standing up for better rail services as an MP – to work with the Government to secure the funding needed to deliver real improvements for local commuters.”

But Mr Khan, MP for Tooting, accused the Conservative candidate of failing residents as an MP and said he has let “things go from bad to worse”.

He said: “Since Zac Goldsmith was elected as the local MP and the Tories got into power, things have gone from bad to worse for commuters in Richmond and Twickenham.

“Hard-pressed commuters will be astonished the Tories are gloating at the bidding process to run their overcrowded, delayed and evermore expensive trains.

“That there are just two bidders - one being the current holder of the franchise - shows what a joke this has become under the Tories.

“Zac Goldsmith has failed local residents as their MP and he would fail them again as Mayor. “We need a Labour Mayor to take control of commuter lines, improve services and stop the annual Tory fare hikes."

First South Western Trains and Stagecoach South West are the two firms shortlisted to run the franchise from 2017.

A recent survey showed only 40 per cent of South West Trains customers were satisfied with how the franchise dealt with delays.

It has also been confirmed that Transport for London will take over the running of suburban rail networks in London.