Delays on the London Underground caused by signal failures have risen one-third since last year, Transport for London (TfL) has warned, as it calls for increased government funding to address ageing infrastructure. Patrick Doig, TfL’s chief financial officer, stated that reliability will “increasingly” be affected without action to tackle the network’s deteriorating condition. Temporary speed restrictions, timetable gaps, and line suspensions are becoming more frequent.
Overall delays from trains, track, and signal issues have increased 5% to 641,000 per week. Signalling failure is the fastest-growing cause. The figures were significantly impacted by a four-day incident at Camden Town in April.
London is competing for central government funding as Prime Minister Andy Burnham prioritises northern England. Chancellor John Healey is expected to announce new powers for the capital in the upcoming Budget. Doig noted TfL has underinvested in repairs for a decade, spending £800mn this year against a £1.2bn need.
The Bakerloo Line, using 54-year-old trains, has seen over 10% of scheduled trains cancelled. Neil Garratt warned that even full funding would take a decade to resolve the £6.5bn backlog. Doig emphasised the capital’s economic importance, while TfL’s advertising contrasts with its repair warnings.
Source: Financial Times Companies · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing