New research shows Tube still plagued by delays, with only six weeks until Olympics

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With only six weeks until the Olympic Games begin Mayor Boris Johnson will be challenged by Labour’s Val Shawcross over the preparedness of the London transport network. The questions follow new research that shows in the past three weeks there were only three problem-free week days on the tube. 

The information was compiled from studying Transport for London’s (TfL) live tube tracker website. The research reveals that since 21st May there were only three problem-free week days on London Underground.

With the Olympic Route Network opening on the 14th July and the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games on the 27th July – just six weeks away – there is real concern that not only will the tube be busy, but will not be able to cope with the extra passengers due to frequent break-downs.

Labour's Transport Spokesperson at City Hall, Val Shawcross, said: "We are now only six weeks away from the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games. Problems on the tube are mounting up with only three problem-free days in the past three weeks, this is simply unacceptable. Thousands of Londoners are working flat out to prepare the city, including many volunteers. Meanwhile the Mayor flew off on holiday to America promoting his new book.”

“During the Olympics it is essential that all parts of our transport network operate properly. These repeated tube delays are simply unacceptable, the vast majority are caused by technical failure.”

“Londoners are being forced to pay sky-high fares by Boris Johnson and he can’t even provide a robust service. Quite simply he needs to get a grip. The Mayor and TfL’s performance hasn’t been up to standard and they need to improve.”

“We need to make sure enough maintenance is taking place on the Tube to avoid unnecessary delays during the Games and TfL also need to improve their contingency plans. The Mayor should be focussing 100% on preparing London for the Olympics, rather than flying to America to sell his new book.”