Workers' Liberty

Given the pig's ear that Metronet has made of the stuff it is in charge of already, you'd think that no-one in their right mind would consider giving the bankrupt company any extra responsibilities, wouldn't you?

Tubeworker recommends to Endemol and Channel Four a possible venue for the next series of Big Brother - the new Waterloo & City line signal cabin.

It's got cameras pointing at the staff, though no-one seems to know who's looking at the monitors. And you have to walk through the changing room to get into the cabin, meaning that people don't get to change in private.

Today, Metronet's incompetence descended from scandal into farce. They spent the weekend grinding rails on the Waterloo and City line, but did not tidy up after themselves - in particular, they did not hoover up the dust.

Tubeworker has mentioned before the platform humps on the Waterloo & City. And we repeat: anything that makes the Underground more accessible to wheelchair users and buggy-pushers is OK with us.

Another problem in the Waterloo and Cuty refurb series ... advertising posters have been coming away from walls, causing serious problems.

At one point earlier this week, a platform at Bank had to be closed because the platform wall posters were flapping in the face of incoming trains. Original suspicions were that the contractor might be using new glue - but now it seems more likely that the brand shiny new wall tiles were not primed to hold posters properly.

So it has finally come to light why the Waterloo & City line has been repeatedly breaking down since it reopened. Metronet didn't replace the signalling system during the five-month-long upgrade because its contract with LUL didn't require it to.

After five months' closure, the Waterloo & City line reopened last week, and immediately ran into trouble.

The cabling was incompatible with the signals, causing surges. The Correct Side Door Enabling kit didn't work. There were power feed problems - all of which should have been sorted through a testing process before the line reopened, you'd think. Passengers who've already had five months' inconvenience don't usually take too kindly to a line breaking down as soon as it reopens.

When the Waterloo & City line reopens, it will have 'platform humps', raised areas that put the platform at the same level as the train for easy access for people using wheelchairs or buggies (or who have difficulty taking big steps).

Metronet appears to be on a charm offensive, or is it a desperate attempt to rescue its deservedly woeful reputation?

Whichever, they invited the media down into the Drain, to tell us what a fabulous job they are doing down there and how confident they are that it will be finished on time. What do they want? A medal?! The Evening Standard (Falling Standards to you and me) and the BBC duly obliged.

The Waterloo & City line is closing for refurbishment from April til September, cutting off the commuters' favourite route into the City.

The official alternative is to go from Waterloo to Embankment and change there for the District line to Monument. However, Tubeworker strongly suspects that many commuters will not like this idea and will go to TCR instead.

It's New Year's Eve, and Bank station is closed, the Waterloo & City line suspended.