Performance report states Tube Lines is 'ahead of all its contractual targets'.

Tube Lines’ performance report for the latest quarterly period (three months to the end of March 2007) states that the consortium is “ahead of all its contractual targets”.

The Tube Lines consortium won the PPP for the upgrade of one third of the London Underground network. Its territory comprises the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly Lines.

Investment in the period ran to £102m (forecast figure: £100m).

A spokeswoman said: “We’re required to demonstrate that we are being economic and efficient, so we’re constantly looking for better working practices.

“On track renewal, we decided early on that we would use this as a pilot and Tube Lines managed these operations directly. That was two years ago.

“As it worked well, we then did a trial on the station upgrade programme. When tranche 3 was let, 73% of this was directly managed by ourselves, the rest by the principal contractors such as YJL and Fitzpatrick.

“Tranche 4 of the station upgrade programme, which is going out now, will all be directly managed. It cuts out a layer of bureaucracy and you have more control of the order the work is done in.

“With three or four contractors on a bunch of stations, you are able to streamline the management. There’s only a four-hour window to work in. With a new subcontractor it is on a steep learning curve.

“We have reduced the time taken for a station upgrade quite a lot: at the start it would be taking 12-18 months but now that period is down to just 6-9 months.”