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Tube delays as network is named best in Europe
Dick Murray27.04.09
TENS of thousands of Tube commuters suffered major disruption today, just as London Underground bosses boasted the system was the best in Europe and reliability is improving.
Night engineering work on the Northern line failed to finish on time causing "severe delays" as the rush hour started.
The District line was suspended between Turnham Green and Richmond because of a signal failure and the Jubilee line had delays caused by an obstruction on the track at Westminster.
Mayor Boris Johnson admitted that finishing weekend engineering work on time ready for the start of the week was providing "challenges".
Tube bosses had desperately wanted a good service across all lines today as they announced the system is carrying record numbers of passengers.
In 2008/9 the 146-year-old network carried 1,089 million passengers. It was the third year in succession that numbers had increased. It now carries an average of 3.5million people on weekdays.
A Tube spokesman said the latest performance figures follow LU's "success" at the Metro Awards where the system was named Best Metro in Europe beating Paris, Madrid, Berlin and Copenhagen.
He said passenger satisfaction ratings had also hit a "new high" with average scores reaching 79 out of 100.
Mr Johnson said: "Despite the challenges of weekend engineering works, Londoners know the value of the Tube and why we are investing billions (of pounds) to improve it."
LU managing director Tim O'Toole said: "Thanks to record investment and the efforts of our staff, the Tube is going from strength to strength."
Reader views (8)
Marianne, you, by your own self admission live 700 miles from Paris and even further from london. You use neither the metro nor the Tube, yet you feel qualifed to comment. How?
It's like me trying to give my point of view of a comparison of supermarket prices in New York and your home town having not shopped in either recently.
Wait for a story about sarkozy or french tax law and we'll value your input.
- Nick, London
The tube is an unbelievably great network, despite the delays and overcrowding, where would London be without it, our forefathers had great vision.
I also believe the people who make it all work from the managers to the station staff and engineers do a fabulous job, its a shame the politicians don't do the same and give the system the proper investment it needs.
- Brian, Wiltshire
Are the Paris, Madrid, Berlin & Copenhagen underground systems so dreadful that we come out as the best? Having travelled on the awful Northern Line for over 20 years I find this incredibly hard to believe.
- Ian Davies, London, UK
Marianne, there's a tube every three minutes during peak periods in the central zones on most lines. Some lines have 24 trains/hour (every 2.5 minutes). Sometimes there are longer gaps between trains because of hold-ups. It only takes one idiot holding the doors open for half a minute to create a gap, and the bigger gap means more people are waiting at the next station when the train arrives, and they take longer to get on, and the gap gets another ten seconds bigger, and the train gets more crowded, and the gap gets worse and worse until the train is through the central zone.
Reliability is improving, now that some real maintenance (track and signals) is being done. (Which sadly means a lot of line closures at week-ends for several years to come).
Frankie, it wasn't Ken throwing money down the drain. It was Metronet, a PFI scheme dreamed up by Gordon Brown and the treasury, to make sure that Ken had no real power to accomplish anything. At least not until after Metronet had pocketed several years' money and then gone bankrupt. Now, TfL is in charge, and the track and signals are finally being attended to.
- Nigel, London
Have you tried riding the jubilee line in rush hour? It will be slow, it will stop in tunnels, you will not get a seat - in fact you may not be able to board until the 4th train, signal failures last 6 hours, you will not be able to get to work/get home for at least an hour if it is suspended as the alternative cannot cope, the stations often close due to overcrowding, it is closed at weekends. I attempt to take it every day....
- Stantonjulie, London
I'm gobsmacked. I live a good 700 miles from the Paris metro so can't be accused of bias - but I'm DARNED sure Paris tubes run every 3 minutes which is much better than my experiences with the London Underground?
- Marianne (Uk National And Tax-Payer), SW France
If you are delayed by more than 15 minutes on the tube system, you are entitled to claim a refund, simply go to the TFL web page, click on refunds and fill out the form.
- Howard, London, UK
This award is all down to Boris's hard work in the past year re-organising TfL after Ken drove the network into the ground throwing money down the drain.
- Frankie, London
