• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

MayorWatch

London News and Comment

  • NEWS
  • Twitter

RMT says Jubilee disruption proves need for Tube drivers

November 9, 2011 - Martin Hoscik@MayorWatch

London Underground bosses have dismissed union claims that a systems failure on the Jubilee Line “exposed the lethal danger of Mayor Boris Johnson and TFL’s plans to bring in driverless trains.”

In what it describes as a “major emergency”, the RMT union says “screens in the control on the Jubilee Line went blank for 55 minutes from 18.50 hrs as main and back-up systems failed.

“Control did not know where units were in the deep tube system covered by the line.”

The comments come after it emerged London Underground is considering expanding the number of so-called driverless trains on the network.

The Mayor has faced pressure from some business groups and Conservative London Assembly Members to increase automation on the Tube in the wake of strikes.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said: “The Jubilee Line is already heavily automated but this incident shows that you still need drivers to move into manual mode and take over when something goes wrong.

“Those from the Tory party banging the drum for driverless operation should read this report and hang their heads in shame. Their political game playing is literally dicing with death.

“Thousands of passengers relied on train and platform staff to get them safely through Friday night’s emergency and those arguing to axe those same staff stand accused of gross and criminal negligence.”

However LU chief operating officer Howard Collins said the union’s claims “are without foundation.”

Collins said: “Driverless trains have been in operation across the world for decades, including on the DLR, one of the most efficient railways anywhere in Europe. Automated train operation has been used on the Victoria line for the last 40 years, and on the Central line since the 1990s. 



“There will always be a need for staff in running our train services, just as there is on the DLR, but that role that they play needs to change if the Tube is to be a truly 21st century railway.”

Apologising to passengers for last week’s disruption, Collins said LU was “pressing our contractors Thales to provide assurances that this will not happen again” and insisted “at no point were passengers at risk, as the system prevented trains from moving into close proximity of each other.”


  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

RECENT UPDATES

Tube and rail users to benefit from Oyster weekly fares cap

Mayor and TfL call on ministers to help plug funding gap

Tube to get full mobile phone coverage from 2024

TfL says Direct Vision Standard is already making HGVs safer for London road users




POPULAR

City Hall to move to Docklands as Mayor seeks to raise £55m for frontline services

‘Concern’ over TfL’s ability to deliver major projects in wake of Crossrail cost overruns

City Hall halts London Overground ticket office closures but many will still see opening hours reduced

Transport for London confirms bus cuts will go ahead despite passenger opposition

GOT A STORY?

As the original London news and scrutiny site we've been casting an eye over the capital's public services and politicians since 1999.

 

Many of our top stories started with a tip-off from a reader - if you've got something you'd like us to cover get in touch and we'll do the rest.

Stay In Touch

  • E-mail
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2022 · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.