LU told six months ago to increase safety checks
10:22 28 Oct 2003
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A confidential document revealing deficiencies in the track inspection and maintenance regime has increased fears about safety on the London Underground (LU).
The report reveals that the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) served an improvement notice on the network before the start of the government's part privitisation of the tube because it was not pleased with the maintenance regime in place.
It said the standard of enegineering safety breached regulations with thousands of examples of substantial "non-compliance".
The LU responded by telling the HSE that a lack of competent staff to perform the inspections meant that it could not inspect the track as often as it should have done.
It gave reassurances that safety would remain paramount. A spokesman added: "LU is reviewing its mainteance standards and the technologies employed."
In the year before PPP there was a 35% rise in the number of signal, points and track faults.
Further details of the leaked HSE report will be revealed on Kenyon Confronts on BBC1 tomorrow (Wednesday) night.