Brent Lib Dems call for end to Tube Lines row (From Harrow Times)

Brent Lib Dems call for end to Tube Lines row

1:30pm Thursday 11th March 2010 in

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LIB Dems are calling for an end to the bitter row between the London mayor and the company responsible for tube upgrades.

London Underground was this week told it must find £400m more for engineering works on the Picadilly Line, which runs through South Harrow, and the Northern Line, which stops at Edgware.

The ruling, by Public Private Partnership (PPP) arbiter Chris Bolt, provoked anger from Boris Johnson, who said he is considering legal action against Tube Lines, the company responsible for the work.

Mr Bolt has also said months of upgrade work on the Jubilee Line could have been done on time and to budget, but was not.

Councillor Daniel Brown, responsible for transport at Brent Council, said: “It’s frustrating for local people to know that Tube Lines and London Underground could have completed the upgrade of the Jubilee line on time, and that Tube Lines’ requests for more closures were unnecessary.

“I think Mayor Boris Johnson should tell us why he has allowed this to happen. Hopefully Tube Lines and Transport for London will now at last get on with the job and end the Jubilee Line misery.”

Andrew Cleaves, Tube Lines' acting chief executive, said: “We consider that this decision could present Tube Lines with a significant challenge in its efforts to deliver the investment in the Tube that the system continues to require.”

He said the company had worked hard with London Underground but insisted that “sustained, high levels of long term investment” were needed and called for support for the work.

Mr Johnson said: “The Arbiter has ruled that the costs should be £4.46bn, thus demonstrating that Tube Lines’ breathtaking original demand for £6.8bn was simply an attempt at daylight robbery.

“Londoners will also be outraged that the tube upgrades promised to them are now threatened.

“Simply put, we are being asked to write a blank cheque in order to prop up an ailing and failing Tube Lines, and to guarantee massive and secretive payments of £400 million to its shareholders, Ferrovial and Bechtel.

“In other countries this would be called looting, here it is called the PPP.”