The Central line is one of the busiest on the Underground serving roughly 4.5 million passengers a week.
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An emergency Central line timetable introduced by Transport for London will see the number of trains operating at peak time cut from 30 to 21 per hour.
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The change aims to reduce disruption on the line as “urgent work” to fix track equipment and motors on the “ageing train fleet” is undertaken, according to Transport for London (TfL).
One Central line commuter City News spoke to said that the continued disruption “adds extra stress to my journey every day”. They were also confused by the new timetable, stating that they’re “not sure how reducing the number of trains will make it less busy.”
The reduced number of peak time trains in the emergency timetable aims to create a more even service. A TfL spokesperson told City News that it will “mean a more consistent frequency across the whole line while this work is undertaken.”
Ageing trains are not the only problem
Disruption is also being caused by track monitoring problems.
This has resulted in speed restrictions being put in place for certain areas of the Central line.
City News asked TfL about these restrictions and a spokesperson said they have “resulted in fewer trains to Hainault via Newbury Park than we had hoped.”
TfL added that they have a “programme of diagnostic and preventative work in place to safely remove these restrictions so that we can further improve the service in the coming days.”
However, TfL did recently state that the Central line disruption could last until the summer.
TfL has said that they are “working round the clock” to solve the the Central line problems. Credit: James Tillotson.
Central line upgrades
Trains on the line are being upgraded in the Central Line Improvement Program which is costing £500m.
The upgraded trains will have CCTV cameras onboard for the first time.
The upgrades will also see new motors installed on the trains, which are expected to have a lifespan of 10-15 years.
The Mayor of London Sadiq Kahn released an image of a refurbished Central line train carriage at the end of 2023.
The first refurbished Central line train is now on the tracks and in service 🔴
This refurbishment programme will transform customer experience on the Central line.
Trains are being fitted out with CCTV in carriages, new seating and wheelchair bays to improve accessibility. pic.twitter.com/qkrT1hguGt
The Central line is the longest and one of the busiest lines on the London Underground according to TfL. It serves around 4.5 million passengers every week, meaning disruption on the services is hitting millions of Londoners.
The TfL spokesperson did not answer City News’ questions about how much the emergency timetable implementation will cost, or how it will be delivered.
Additional “dedicated” bus services have been put in place which Transport for London is encouraging passengers to use.
Have you been impacted by Central line disruption? City News wants to hear from you – send your pictures, videos and experiences to [email protected]
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Standfirst
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HeadlineTfL cuts number of Central line trains by a third in ‘emergency’ action
Short HeadlineCentral line trains to be cut by a third
StandfirstDisruption is being caused by failing train motors and trackside equipment on one of the capital's busiest tube lines.
An emergency Central line timetable introduced by Transport for London will see the number of trains operating at peak time cut from 30 to 21 per hour.
Listen to this article – powered by AI:
The change aims to reduce disruption on the line as “urgent work” to fix track equipment and motors on the “ageing train fleet” is undertaken, according to Transport for London (TfL).
One Central line commuter City News spoke to said that the continued disruption “adds extra stress to my journey every day”. They were also confused by the new timetable, stating that they’re “not sure how reducing the number of trains will make it less busy.”
The reduced number of peak time trains in the emergency timetable aims to create a more even service. A TfL spokesperson told City News that it will “mean a more consistent frequency across the whole line while this work is undertaken.”
Ageing trains are not the only problem
Disruption is also being caused by track monitoring problems.
This has resulted in speed restrictions being put in place for certain areas of the Central line.
City News asked TfL about these restrictions and a spokesperson said they have “resulted in fewer trains to Hainault via Newbury Park than we had hoped.”
TfL added that they have a “programme of diagnostic and preventative work in place to safely remove these restrictions so that we can further improve the service in the coming days.”
However, TfL did recently state that the Central line disruption could last until the summer.
TfL has said that they are “working round the clock” to solve the the Central line problems. Credit: James Tillotson.
Central line upgrades
Trains on the line are being upgraded in the Central Line Improvement Program which is costing £500m.
The upgraded trains will have CCTV cameras onboard for the first time.
The upgrades will also see new motors installed on the trains, which are expected to have a lifespan of 10-15 years.
The Mayor of London Sadiq Kahn released an image of a refurbished Central line train carriage at the end of 2023.
The first refurbished Central line train is now on the tracks and in service 🔴
This refurbishment programme will transform customer experience on the Central line.
Trains are being fitted out with CCTV in carriages, new seating and wheelchair bays to improve accessibility. pic.twitter.com/qkrT1hguGt
The Central line is the longest and one of the busiest lines on the London Underground according to TfL. It serves around 4.5 million passengers every week, meaning disruption on the services is hitting millions of Londoners.
The TfL spokesperson did not answer City News’ questions about how much the emergency timetable implementation will cost, or how it will be delivered.
Additional “dedicated” bus services have been put in place which Transport for London is encouraging passengers to use.
Have you been impacted by Central line disruption? City News wants to hear from you – send your pictures, videos and experiences to [email protected]
