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Tube must not be victim says chief
Dick Murray, Transport Editor31.10.08
TUBE chief Tim O'Toole today warned that funding the £16billion Crossrail project must not starve the Underground of desperately needed cash.
He made clear the Tube, which carries 3.3 million people a day, is "far more important than Crossrail".
Mainline rail chiefs have already expressed private fears that Crossrail could reduce the amount of cash for improving the railways.
But Mr O'Toole said: "Crossrail is great but it does not give to London what the Tube does."
He is battling to get billions more to fund the Tube and to complete vital work on the Northern, Jubilee and Piccadilly lines by 2017.
He told the Guardian: "If you can put together a political coalition to create Crossrail, surely you can get one to sustain the Tube?"
Mr O'Toole added that if the extra funding were not forthcoming the service would deteriorate, given the steady increase in passenger numbers.
Reader views (2)
o'toole has a nerve to make comments like this. how dare he demand more money. this from tfl - and unaccountable and untransparent organization. im still waiting for the freedom of information request on o'toole since may of this year.
- Josh, london
Do these people live in the real world.we all would like to see our lives improved by a better transport system.But at the moment the country has more to focus on when need to get our finaces up and running again.Then and only then should we think about Spending more.
- Dave Smith, Croydon
