Stuck in the Pipe Again

Posted in Tubeworker's blog on ,

First, it was Victoria Line passengers trapped until 3am on the last Monday in May.

Then it was 500 trapped on the Central line for 80 minutes on a Thursday afternoon.

And for the hat-trick ... The very next day, 800 punters stuck in the pipe between Bank and Liverpool Street for more than two hours in the morning peak at 38C temperatures. They had to be given oxygen and water to counter heat exhaustion and dehydration.

The middle one of these incidents was caused by the police rather carelessly losing a suspect, who discarded his custody overalls and legged it, semi-starkers, into the tunnel between Marble Arch and Lancaster Gate.

But the finger of blame for the other two points at Metronet. In the first, their signals failed. And in the most recent, a shoe fell off. A million pounds a day profit, and they can't even get the basics right. Metronet workers are left to patch up the failures of management, and LUL staff to deal with the disarray left in their wake.

So far, it has "only" been dehydration and understandable anger. Next time, it could be even more serious.

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