16.12.16
Night Tube to launch on Piccadilly Line, despite union’s safety fears
The Night Tube is due to start running on the Piccadilly Line from tonight despite warnings from the RMT over the safety of rolling stock.
Last month, the union called for the line to be completely closed as TfL took around half of the trains out of service because their wheels were locking on tracks that were covered with wet autumn leaves.
Mick Cash, general secretary of the RMT, said the problems had been happening since the 43-year old trains had their wheels replaced and “could take weeks” to fix.
“The priority in the meantime should be to run a safe and reliable service in the daytime, when most people will be using the service,” he added. “It is utter madness that while the service on the Piccadilly Line is at breaking point the company plan to run trains right through from 0500 Friday morning until 0030 Sunday.”
The TfL website currently marks the Piccadilly Line as experiencing “minor delays while we carry out repairs to our trains”. The company is also seeking contractors to replace the floors and brake parts and vertical suspension damper mounting brackets on the trains. It will also announce a contract to procure new rolling stock in autumn 2017.
However, a TfL spokesperson told RTM that there were no plans to cancel the Night Tube launch.
“If it wasn’t safe, we wouldn’t run it, and we’re 100% sure that it’s safe,” they said.
Night Tube services launched successfully on the Victoria and Central Lines in August, after being delayed from the previous September because of RMT’s opposition to a new contract for their members.
They were then rolled out on the Jubilee Line in October and the Northern Line in November. The latest edition of RTM features an article by Steve Griffiths, London Underground’s chief operating officer, on the progress of the service so far.
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