Transport for London calls for new cash to replace 50-year-old trains

The UK government has called for a long -term funding agreement to replace the main 50 -year -old tube trains for London and prevent some parts of the road and rail network.

Andy Lord told The Financial Times that he wrote to Rahel Reeves for a five -year financial settlement to fund TFL expenditure on capital projects as part of the Treasury expenditure review in June.

London Transport Authority-which operates underground and bus networks, as well as some overground trains and six short-term conservative governments through the six short-lived belouts.

“You cannot run the world’s largest integrated mass transport authority without the settlement of long -term capital funds in my view,” Lord said in an interview.

One of the most urgent priorities in TFL is to replace the 53-year-old trains powered by the Bakerloo Line in the oldest Carries Underground in UK service.

Lord warned that the line was becoming increasingly incredible because of the authorities fighting to maintain trains built in the 1970s.

“There will come a time where we will not be able to have enough train to run a reliable service and its consequences will be shaken,” he said. “We will continue as long as we can, but the reality is that it will become more expensive and less reliable.”

TFL is on the way to achieve a “operating surpl” for the second fiscal year, in fact it can pay for the expenditure of its own activities. However, government money will be required for replacement, signal renewal or new infrastructure opening.

The body was transferred to $ 485 million in the budget for capital expenditure in the fiscal year 2025-26, but there is no precision about its funds beyond that.

The Lord TFL has compared financial settlements to other transport companies such as network rail, Britain’s state-owned operators and national highways, which are responsible for motorways. They are given more than five years of cycle.

However a public financial meaning is a The surplus is smaller than the expected surplus in January And the pressure to find more money for defense, the reeves are facing the rising difficult expense background.

Lord, the Commissioner of TFL since 2022, refused to say how much he wanted. However, he warned of “risk” that parts of the transport network would become less reliable than new cash.

Lord said that in the last one year, the central line of the underground was seriously disrupted, the previous Tory government did not fully funded any maintenance program, it was the result.

He also added that some of the major roads run by TFL, including the Brent Cross flyover in North London, needed to repair emergency repairs.

“We have received restrictions on several main road artery at the moment, where it has direct effects [on traffic]He said.

The TFL has ordered 94 new trains from the German art -centric semens for the TFL Picadilli line. They must enter the service next year.

Lord said that TFL would like to give a follow-on order for the new trains for the Baker Line from TFL Siemens, which will help protect the future of the factory they have gathered in Yorkshire’s goal.

The Picadily Line wants to re -sign the number of trains that can run on the TFL line significantly.

Other options presented by Lord to Reeves include the main “Growth Schemes” financing, including the Bakerloo Line, including tunneling in southeast London and extending the driverless Docklands Light Railway to Southeast London.

“I am encouraged to see the positive discussion we are doing[about a financial settlement]The The The I hope we will get the necessary funds ”said Lord.

Government officials say they are working with TFL in a long-term settlement. The Department of Transport says: “The success of the London transport network is important for both capital and the UK economy.”

Reeves said that the government returned to the agenda with the expansion of the government that the government would return the project, saying that if the third runway was created, the government or the airport would have to fund the existing transport infrastructure for billions of billions of upgrades.

He said that TFL should consider additional services at the Elizabeth Line Rail link and upgrade to the picadilli line, both are running between Heathrow and central London for the growth of aircraft travelers.

He also added that creating new rail links to the south and west will also need to be created and road upgrades.

“It cannot be expected to extend his services beyond TFL’s own money. We are not only available for that fund, ”he said.

In a new push with TFL financing, Lord said he hoped that the passengers’ revenue would be lower than its current fiscal year forecast.

He blamed people less than expected and quoted the economic environment and showed that more jobs were being created outside London.

The latest financial statistics of TFL, published in December, the forecast of £ 5.3BN for the fiscal year 2024-25, is less than $ 200 million less than forecast.

“I think we need to continue to see how we can work with employers especially to encourage people to come to town,” he said.

Lord’s comments are echoed in London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, who warned about the increase in flexible work. This month Khan warned that the capital could not become a city where the center was “empty”.

Nevertheless, the TFL ordered his office-based staff to stay in the office only 50 percent.

“I think people who should be in the office a lot of focus on the sector you are working in you if you take our business then I want people to have the experience of our customers to be out of the network,” Lord Lord Dr. The