The Treasury still spends more than twice as much on transport in London as in the West Midlands - and the gap is getting worse, official figures have revealed.
Transport spending in the West Midlands in 2011-12 was s198 per person - down from s228 a year ago.
But the spending in London was s644 per person in London, and this was up from s642 the year previously.
While London's apparent increase will be wiped out by inflation, the figures illustrate that the gulf between the regions is widening.
Passenger Transport Executives, the bodies responsible for public transport within large urban areas, published the figures as they demanded reform of the funding regime.
Geoff Inskip, chair of the national Passenger Transport Executive Group as well as Chief Executive of West Midlands transport body Centro, said: 'What the Treasury's own public spending figures show is that the spend per head on transport outside London continues to be dwarfed by the spend per head in London.
"Any visitor to London can see this with their own eyes - from Oyster cards to the new Routemaster bus, and from the total overhaul of the London Underground to the new London Overground network.
"London has made an effective case to Government for high levels of spending on transport and the onus is on us to do likewise. But the starting point for this debate needs to be a recognition that there is a substantial disparity in public spending on transport between London and our cities."
Areas such as the West Midlands would benefit from transport schemes such as High Speed Two, the high speed rail line running from London to Birmingham and eventually to Manchester and Leeds, he said.
However, a fairer funding system was also needed.
Government figures also show that London continues to enjoy higher funding for a range of other services, although not to the same extent.
Spending on education in the capital is s1,646 per head, compared to s1,449 in the West Midlands. And spending on health is s2,102 per head, compared with s1,865 in the region.
Council and business leaders in the West Midlands are in negotiation with the Government over proposals to create a new transport authority which would take control of funding from both local authorities and central government. Although this would not necessarily bring more cash into the region, they argue the money would be better spent if it was controlled locally.
Crucially, the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership, a body controlled by business leaders and local authorities, and the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership have agreed in principle to create a single joint body.
The plans are included in proposals for a "City Deal phase two", to be agreed between Birmingham and the Ministers.
The deals, overseen by Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, are designed to transfer power and funding away from Whitehall to a local level.
A new transport authority would oversee plans to improve transport connections around the M42, close to Birmingham Airport.
Solihull Council has already appointed Arup, a world leading civil engineering organisation based in Blythe Valley Business Park, to take the lead on the project, which the authority predicts could create 100,000 jobs.
The transport improvements would be designed to ensure the region makes the most of the opportunities offered by high speed rail, which will include a new station for high speed trains near the airport.
