Request ID: FOI-4010-2324 Date published: 29 February 2024
You asked
Can you please provide the penalty costs paid for lifts and escalators being out of service and exceeding the required availability threshold?
For each tube line on the London Underground network can you please provide
1 The costs paid in each full year 2021, 2022 and 2023 for failed lift availability?
2 The costs paid in each full year 2021, 2022 and 2023 for failed escalator availability?
3 The maximum aggregated hours for individual lifts not fully operational in a fee period?
4 The maximum aggregated hours for individual escalators not fully operational in a fee period?
5 Please provide the fee periods for 2023?
6 What is the hourly costs for lift breakdowns exceeding the fee period threshold?
7 What is the hourly costs for escalator breakdowns exceeding the fee period threshold?
We answered
Our Ref: FOI-4010-2324
Thank you for your request received on 4 February 2024 asking for information about penalty costs paid for lifts and escalators being out of service and exceeding the required availability threshold.
Your request has been considered under the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and our information access policy. I can confirm that we do hold the information you require. You asked for:
Like all of our assets such as trains and track, we have a continual programme of maintenance and renewal of our lifts and escalators across our network to ensure they are reliable and safe to use for our customers. Our lifts receive a routine maintenance check every two weeks, a full examination and test every six months, and a partial refurbishment every five years. Lifts are typically due to be fully replaced every 10 to 20 years, depending on the type of machine. Escalator and lift replacement and refurbishment works can be a lengthy process due to the size and difficulty of the task.
1. The costs paid in each full year 2021, 2022 and 2023 for failed lift availability? We have three lift contracts covering maintenance. If availability falls below the contract target, as detailed in questions three and four, abatements are applied, and the contractor is charged for the below target performance. A negative in these tables represents where we have applied that charge to the contractor.
Availability Abatements / Bonus
2021
2022
2023
Contract 1
-£3,458.32
-£225,977.92
-£98,493.73
Contract 2
-£2,675.99
-£18,409.85
£0.00
Contract 3
-£2,803.80
-£2,824.76
-£6,520.58
2. The costs paid in each full year 2021, 2022 and 2023 for failed escalator availability? We have two key contracts in the escalator maintenance area. Where availability is maintained above the contract threshold an availability bonus is paid, and where availability falls below the threshold abatements are served as detailed on the table below.
Availability Abatements / Bonus
2021
2022
2023
Contract 1
£0.00
£0.00
£0.00
Contract 2
£46,540.00
£46,586.25
£84,571.97
Contract 3
-£13,481.51
-£10,530.41
-£14,194.05
3. The maximum aggregated hours for individual lifts not fully operational in a fee period? The availability is measured in two different ways on the lifts contracts:
• The first measures levels of lost customer hours (LCH) o 2021 Baseline Target – 16,400 LCH o 2022 Baseline Target – 16,000 LCH o 2023 Baseline Target – 15,700 LCH • The second method is as per the escalator contracts in that it has a customer availability threshold of 99.6% 4. The maximum aggregated hours for individual escalators not fully operational in a fee period? The customer availability threshold for both contracts in the escalator maintenance area is 99.6% 5. Please provide the fee periods for 2023? TfL operates a thirteen period calendar starting April each year, the key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure availability are calculated at each of these periods. 6. What is the hourly costs for lift breakdowns exceeding the fee period threshold? 7. What is the hourly costs for escalator breakdowns exceeding the fee period threshold? We are not obliged to provide you with the hourly costs as this is subject to a statutory exemption to the right of access to information under section 43(2). In this instance the section 43(2) exemption has been applied as disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice our commercial interests. Disclosure of this information could hinder our ability to negotiate the best value for money for similar services in the future. The use of this exemption is subject to an assessment of the public interest in relation to the disclosure of the information concerned. We recognise the need for openness and transparency by public authorities, particularly where the expenditure of public money is concerned, but in this instance the public interest in ensuring that we are able to obtain the best value for public money outweighs the general public interest in increasing transparency of our processes. Please let me know if this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some reason. If you are not satisfied with this response 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
