Dear Paula

Thank you very much indeed for this detailed response from London
Underground (LU). I am also pleased to say that I have received a detailed
response from Vincent McGovern at Tube Lines, for which I am most grateful;
Mr McGovern is copied in on this email. Paula, your email below says:

“Because of the way that the PPP contract operates, London

Underground (LU) does not have direct control over how the upgrade of
the Northern line is planned and delivered”.

Your email also says: “(LU) strongly believe that (Tube Lines’) demands
are excessive and are continuing to urge Tube Lines to review their
programme with a view to reducing the level of disruption that will be
caused by the closures they have requested.”

But Mr McGovern’s email from Tube Lines says:

“(Tube Lines) have been discussing a suitable closure programme with

LU since mid 2008 and first presented it with a very specific plan back in
early summer 2009 which we believed would have kept weekend
closures to a minimum which was rejected.”

There appears to be a flat contradiction between LU’s email and Tube Lines’
email. If LU has no direct control over how the upgrade is planned and
delivered, then how can it be possible for LU to have rejected a plan from
Tube Lines? If LU has the power to reject Tube Lines’ plans, then why has the
latest plan (involving so many weekend closures) not also been rejected? I
have LU telling me that they are trying to persuade Tube Lines to go for fewer
weekend closures; I have Tube Lines telling me that they proposed fewer
weekend closures to start with, but LU turned the proposal down. So LU is
now trying to persuade Tube Lines to do what Tube Lines would have done in
the first place, had LU not stopped it from doing so? This is turning into an
episode of “Yes, Minister” written by Lewis Carroll.

Could I please now have answers from Tube Lines and LU to the following
questions:

1. Does LU have the power to stop Tube Lines from carrying out this
programme of weekend closures – yes or no?

2. Will LU now consider allowing Tube Lines to implement the “very

specific plan (presented) back in early summer 2009 which (Tube
Lines) believed would have kept weekend closures to a minimum
which was rejected” by LU?

3. What is the latest update on talks between LU and Tube Lines on

LU’s continued urging of Tube Lines to “review their programme
with a view to reducing the level of disruption that will be caused by
the closures they have requested.”
You will understand my frustration at receiving emails in which each of two
organisations claims to be trying to persuade the other to implement fewer
weekend closures. All I care about is finding some way to carry out these
works with fewer weekend closures. I look forward to hearing from LU and
Tube Lines in response to this email.

Regards

Matthew Harris
Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Hendon

From: Jenkins Paula [mailto:Paula.Jenkins@tube.tfl.gov.uk]

Sent: 24 February 2010 19:13
To: Matthew Harris
Cc: Hansberry Pat (General Mgr Northern Line); Dennis Pat (Support Gen Mgr
Northern); Hutchings Laura; Thomas Ben; helpline@tubelines.com
Subject: RE: Latest news on the Northern Line

Dear Matthew

Thank you for your further email concerning the Northern line upgrade.

The upgrade of the Northern line is long overdue and absolutely vital, not only
to cope with the increase in predicted demand, but also to cope with the
current levels of usage. You might be interested to know that some of the
most severe overcrowding on the whole Tube network occurs on parts of the
line, especially around King’s Cross and through the part of the line serving
the City. However, the current signalling system - parts of which as previously
explained date back to the 1950’s – limits the number of trains that we can
operate. Therefore, we need to upgrade the line to allow us to run more trains
to help deliver much needed capacity increases on London’s busiest rail line.

Moreover, without complete modernisation of the current signalling system,

maintaining the current levels of reliability would become increasingly more
difficult. Not only would the benefits of the upgrade (faster journeys, less
crowding) not be delivered, but the service would actually degrade over time,
with the line increasingly prone to more and increasingly severe delays as the
result of frequent failures of a signalling system that is life-expired. Increased
overcrowding would also make journeys noticeably slower and more prone to
delay and disruption. Not going ahead with the upgrade is simply not an
option.

As you know, Tube Lines have currently asked us for 65 weekend closures of
part or all of the line, starting at the end of March and ending in November
2011, in order to allow them to undertake upgrade work. In addition, they are
also planning 16 months of early evening closures (Monday to Thursday) of
the whole line north of Stockwell, starting in July this year, resulting in last
trains leaving central London before 22:30.

We strongly believe that these demands are excessive and are continuing to
urge Tube Lines to review their programme with a view to reducing the level
of disruption that will be caused by the closures they have requested. We
have noted - and thank you – for your support on this.

Because of the way that the PPP contract operates, London Underground
(LU) does not have direct control over how the upgrade of the Northern line is
planned and delivered, and as such is unable to supply an ‘optioneering
document’. This is something that Tube Lines will need to respond to you on
directly. I note from your blog, that since emailing us on 8 February, you have
received an acknowledgment from Tube Lines and are awaiting their full
response. I understand that they will respond in due course.

I hope this is helpful.

Kind regards

Paula

Paula Jenkins
Stakeholder Communications
London Underground