London Tube Line Upgrade Faces Further Five-Year Setback

(Bloomberg) -- Improvement plans for London’s Jubilee subway line, already delayed once, are unlikely to be revisited for the foreseeable future, the city’s cash-strapped transport agency has said.

In papers for a Dec. 15 committee meeting, Transport for London said the so-called Jubilee Line Optimization program is expected to be reinstated eventually, “albeit unlikely in the next five years.”

The setback follows an initial decision made in 2017 not to proceed with planned procurement of extra trains to boost service on the Jubilee and Northern lines. The Jubilee proposals were then pared back to cover the central section of the line during peak periods, but that plan was deferred in 2020. TfL says this was due to “the catastrophic impact that the pandemic has had” on ridership and finances.

The program remains paused and isn’t a capital investment priority, in view of the currently reduced levels of demand on the Tube network, TfL said. The agency’s program is under “severe financial pressure” following the pandemic.

“We continue to keep demand forecasts and funding availability under close review,” including on the Jubilee Line, a TfL spokesperson said in an email.

The transport body warned in November of possible cuts to peak services if it can’t plug budget holes, and said it would be facing a “managed decline” of services, where new investments like fleet replacements and bus electrification would be delayed. The transport agency and London mayor Sadiq Khan have been locked in talks with the government over funding, with Khan saying an entire Tube line could be at risk should they fail to reach an agreement.

A Dec. 11 deadline was effectively extended by a week, with the government saying it would provide funding support through Dec. 17 while discussions continue. Transport secretary Grant Shapps said the government had asked for clarification after the mayor sent over income-generation proposals.

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