West Hampstead Digest No.9 Local news where you set the agenda

(one-page PDF version available)
Jubilee farce continues
Confusion reigns over exactly how many more closures Tube Lines needs to finish work on the Jubilee Line. Is it six weekends? Is it 28? Depressingly, no-one seems to know, and the prospect of more disruption looms large. Surely the time has come for clarity and for leadership. Sadly, both seem lacking.
Whampers, unsurprisingly, were not impressed. Reactions ranged from the sarcastic
to fingers-in-ears,
to the comically resigned,
to the angry.
Despite both TfL and Tube Lines maintaining that their working relationship has improved, there is still no coordinated message. All parties were called before the House of Commons Transport committee during the week. Not that the results were especially enlightening or positive.
An unscientific WHampstead poll asked what form people would like any additional closures to take. Weekend closures were marginally the least popular option. Of course whampers may not be representative of all users.

Many people said they would prefer a total shutdown until the work was complete. Although of course this is not a straightforward option from everyone’s perspective. For many people it seems that clear communication around what work is being done when, and WHY it’s taking so long would all help ease the animosity towards TfL. As @sam_elliot says above “we need some sort of elected mayor to sort this out.”
Whampgather II: Tremendous turnout
See full write-up on blog.Darker Shores: Panto for grown-ups?
Full review on blog.

2 replies
  1. Madam Miaow
    Madam Miaow says:

    “Weekend closures were marginally the least popular option. … Many people said they would prefer a total shutdown until the work was complete.”

    Sorry, I assumed work was going on at night as well all these weekends. When exactly is the work going on? If it’s only weekends then that’s surely stupid. I remember as a kid how they’d do work on the pre privatised lines throughout the night. Does this not happen now?

    Best seasons greetings, WHL.

    Reply
  2. WHampstead
    WHampstead says:

    No work overnight – it takes too long to set up and dismantle equipment. I raised some of this with TfL. It has good arguments for why weekend closures are least disruptive – I just wish it would communicate these more clearly. I think this frustrates people at least as much as the closures themselves

    Reply

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