Request ID: FOI-3671-2324 Date published: 13 February 2024
You asked
I am writing to enquire when TFL are expecting the Central Line to resume to 'good service' following months of daily delays due to 'shortage of trains.'
I would also like to ask whether passengers will receive compensation for the constant, unacceptable delays which have made people late for work. If this will not be offered, why?
We answered
TfL Ref: 3671-2324 Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 17 January 2024 asking for information about the Central 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: I am writing to enquire when TFL are expecting the Central Line to resume to 'good service' following months of daily delays due to 'shortage of trains.' I would also like to ask whether passengers will receive compensation for the constant, unacceptable delays which have made people late for work. If this will not be offered, why? Over the last year, we have seen an increase in the number of unavailable trains on the line for customer service. This is mostly due to the age of the train and the need for essential repair works to keep the trains going. Trains have also been removed from service to support the delivery of the Central Line Improvement Programme (CLIP) programme. Since late 2023, we have experienced an abnormally high number of traction motor failures on our Central line trains. When this happens, we have no choice but to withdraw the affected train from service and replace the damaged traction motor with one that has been repaired. Our engineers are urgently working to repair and overhaul of the damaged motors, but this is a complex process undertaken by highly skilled, specialist technicians and the removal and refitting of every motor requires the 30-year-old train to be split and the affected cars lifted. Alongside the repair work, we have put in place additional arrangements to increase our supply of spare motors. This will allow us to start to rebuild some resilience and improve services over the coming weeks, reducing the number of trains out-of-service and allowing us to return trains to customer service more quickly. While this should help improve services for customers, the motor failures are still occurring at a higher rate than we’ve seen before so some disruption to normal service levels is likely to continue. We are continuing to work urgently to identify further solutions, keeping our customers and stakeholders updated. In the meantime, customers should continue to allow more time for their journeys, check before travelling and consider using alternative routes to or through central London. We are also investing in the fleet in the long-term via the Central Line Improvement Programme (CLIP). This £500m programme will boost future reliability by replacing the train’s ageing Direct Current traction system with a modern, digitally controlled, equivalent that uses simple Alternating Current (AC) motors, as well as providing wheelchair bays, better customer information systems, CCTV in carriages and new seating. The first completely refurbished train is now in customer service. Please see the information on our website about how to claim and when we will process a refund for a delay: https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/refunds-and-replacements/tube-and-dlr-delays 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 Sara Thomas FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
