TfL Ref: 2739-1718
 
Thank you for your email received by us on 27 December 2017 asking for information about service on the Northern line.
 
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold the information you require. You asked for the following:
 
On Boxing Day (26th December 2017) the Northern Line had no service from Edgware to Hampstead for a large part of the day caused, as displayed on the TfL status website, by “faulty trains”.
 
I therefore request the following information:
 
1. What information does TfL have about the number of faulty trains?
2. What information does TfL have about why there were so many faulty trains on the same day?
3. What information does TfL have about why it was only the Edgeware to Hampstead section of the line impacted by the faulty trains?
4. What information does TfL have about why it took so long to reinstate service on the impacted section of the line?
5. What information does TfL have about the nature of the fault on each of the faulty trains?
6. What information does TfL have about what steps are being taken to prevent a re-occurrence of the faults?
 
I can advise that on Christmas Eve at 22.52, two trains lost power in the Golders Green area. Subsequent investigations revealed that this was caused by a cable having been placed over the positive conductor rail by trespassers damaging both trains, which consequently could not be moved at the time.
 
The location of the trains, over extensive point work and impeding access to Golders Green depot, caused significant disruption to the Edgware branch of the Northern line. The operation to allow police to conduct their investigations, recover the defective trains and ensure the track was safe to run was not fully completed until lunch time on Boxing Day and formal incident management of this incident was stood down at 13.29.
 
This incident is being treated as vandalism as it is believed to have been a deliberate attempt to stop a train in an open section to enable graffiti vandals to tag it on Christmas Day. We are keen on clamping down on graffiti, so as not to encourage copy-cat behaviour or to give kudos to those involved and so that our rolling stock is maintained in a presentable condition.
 
We work in partnership with the British Transport Police and our infrastructure maintenance teams to maintain the security of the network. We endeavour to ensure secure premises, visible staff presence, remote monitoring of key infrastructure, intelligence led policing and pursuing legal redress in cases of vandalism, to deter individuals who might attempt to gain unauthorised access to the network.
 
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
 
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
 
Yours sincerely
 
 
Jasmine Howard
FOI Case Officer
Information Governance
Transport For London