Request ID: FOI-3056-2223 Date published: 14 March 2023
You asked
I write to request information regarding the escalators at the Cutty Sark DLR station.
1) what was the last date on which all four escalators were available for use by the public, and how many days have elapsed since that date.
2) how many complaints have been received by TFL about the escalators since the above date, and any reports by TFL into those complaints and the status of the escalator repairs.
3) since the date in (1) above, on how many days have contractors or other people appointed for the task been present on the escalators doing work for their repair, and on how many days has no work at all been done and the escalators have just been left unused, unavailable and not being fixed.
4) who has been appointed by TFL to carry out the escalator works if not done in-house by TFL.
5) how much has the person in (4) above been paid for the works / will be paid for the works.
6) what was the original due date by which all escalators would return to service, and any details of punishment/penalty fees imposed on the person in (4) above if that date has been missed.
7) any email received or sent by the Chief Executive of TFL from time to time, since the date in (1) above, that includes all of the terms: “Cutty Sark”, “DLR” and “escalator”, “closed” and “delayed”.
We answered
Our Ref: FOI-3056-2223
Thank you for your request received on 19 February 2023 asking for information about the escalators at Cutty Sark DLR Station.
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 some of the information you require.
Like all of our assets such as trains and track, we have a continual programme of maintenance and renewal for our lifts and escalators to ensure they are reliable and safe to use for our customers. In early 2021, maintenance for the station was transferred to TfL having been overseen previously by City Greenwich Lewisham (CGL) Rail. The reliability of escalators at the station had been poor for some time and following the transfer, initial surveys were undertaken to scope requirements to repair them. Once work started, engineers reported that the escalators were in a poorer condition than anticipated.
Escalator replacement and refurbishment works can be a lengthy process due to the size and difficulty of the task. We continue to look at ways to reduce the amount of disruption to on our customers while we undertake these works. For example, we will sometimes replace more than one escalator at a time to reduce the overall time they are unavailable. We also continue to invest in vital improvements to the transport network including making more stations fully accessible across London. Refurbishment of the escalators at the station has been complicated by both the condition of the asset and the number of custom parts needed to complete the works, with manufacturing of parts delayed by the impact of COVID-19 to supply chains in China and Czech Republic
The DLR is operated for TfL by Keolis Amey Docklands (KAD). Since TfL took over responsibility for the escalators we have been able to invest the time and resources to ensure that the current overhaul works being undertaken are sufficiently comprehensive to ensure that all four assets will bring better reliability and performance for our valued customers.
You asked:
1) What was the last date on which all four escalators were available for use by the public, and how many days have elapsed since that date. July 2021, 613 days (as of 7 March 2023).
Cutty Sark Timeline:
• July 2021 – Escalator 3 was removed from service following a failure • November 2021 – Escalator 2 was removed from service following a failure • November 2021 - Scope issued for tender • January 2022 – Kone appointed • September 2022 – Escalator 3 returned to service • October 2022 – Escalator 4 works started after the marathon • December 2022 - Flood at station, Escalator 3 out of service for 4 weeks while KAD tried to fix the issue • February 2023 - Kone given a contract variation to rectify issues with Escalator 3 2) How many complaints have been received by TFL about the escalators since the above date, and any reports by TFL into those complaints and the status of the escalator repairs.
Date
Number
July 2021
0
August 2021
0
September 2021
2
October 2021
14
November 2021
6
December 2021
2
January 2022
1
February 2022
2
March 2022
3
April 2022
4
May 2022
2
June 2022
1
July 2022
1
August 2022
0
September 2022
3
October 2022
2
November 2022
1
December 2022
5
January 2023
6
February 2023
2
When complaints are received via the Customer Contact Centre, any remedial action is undertaken and the Contact Centre are provided any necessary information required for them to respond to the customer. We do not create a separate report for each complaint.
3) Since the date in (1) above, on how many days have contractors or other people appointed for the task been present on the escalators doing work for their repair, and on how many days has no work at all been done and the escalators have just been left unused, unavailable and not being fixed. Kone contractors have been working on site since April 2022. There are usually two to three members of staff working four to five days a week. While waiting for parts to be manufactured, they would have left site and returned once the parts were received. 4) Who has been appointed by TFL to carry out the escalator works if not done in-house by TFL.
Kone. 5) How much has the person in (4) above been paid for the works / will be paid for the works. Kone is the contractor and won the tender for £485,000, but due to unforeseen issues discovered once the works commenced that additional works were necessary, taking the contract value to £650,000. 6) What was the original due date by which all escalators would return to service, and any details of punishment/penalty fees imposed on the person in (4) above if that date has been missed. The original date before scope increased was approximately November 2022. There are no penalties attached to this scope of works due to all of the unforeseen issues at this station. 7) Any email received or sent by the Chief Executive of TFL from time to time, since the date in (1) above, that includes all of the terms: “Cutty Sark”, “DLR” and “escalator”, “closed” and “delayed”
We do not hold any emails received or sent by the TfL Commissioner captured by the terms above.
If this is not the information you are looking for please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely
Gemma Jacob Senior FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
