Staff Q&A Briefing note: Major Waterloo and City line closure April -
September 2006
1. What works are being carried out, what will be delivered when the
closure??
- 25% Capacity Enhancement with 5th train in peak service, leading to a
12%
journey time improvement and 30% capacity increase
- relaying of the entire running length of track and therefore improved
ride quality
- improved journey time (circa 2 minutes)
- replacement of old Network Rail engineering features
- Improved maintenance facilities (power after 2300 in depots and on
Sundays will
increase stock servicing levels and reliability levels)
- renewal of electrical and mechanical, fire protection and
communication assets
(e.g. PA equipment)
- additional measures to mitigate against water ingress and improve
drainage to the
permanent way
- heritage features will be preserved where possible
A 5 month closure will provide the following additional deliverables
· train wash relocation
· improvements to the rolling stock including redecoration, new
livery, reupholstery
and some respringing, refurbishment of grab rails, improvements to
floors and
windows.
· improved platform train interface
· opportunity to carry out superficial improvements to the platform
ambience at
Waterloo and Bank platforms
· various rolling stock improvements including re-livery,
re-upholstery, a redecoration
of the grab rails, improvements to floors and some glass being
replaced
· delivery of the centralised control system by September 2006
2. What closures will LU need?
The entire line will shut from 1 April until 31 August 2006
3. But I want to go from Waterloo to Bank in the morning and the
reverse in the
evening. What do I do?
At Waterloo you should take the Bakerloo/Northern lines to Embankment
and then any
eastbound District or Circle line to Monument.
The reverse of this route should be taken for return journeys in the
evening peak as there
is a lack of capacity on the southbound City branch of the Northern
line Bank to London
Bridge.
4. Will you provide a line of route replacement bus service?
No, because there is spare capacity on the tube lines as outlined
above. Also scheduled
buses 26 and 76 run Waterloo - Bank and vice versa
5. How will you communicate these alternatives to customers?
In advance: Pre-warning customer publicity will be released October
2005 including
poster and leaflets (which are available to hotels, tourist sites etc
on request), in-train
information and web-site updates on www.tfl.gov.uk/tube (linked to a
number of tourism
web-sites). A Press Release will be issued with the dates, backed up by
website
information.
A full communications package will be delivered including scripts for
announcements.
6. Are businesses entitled to compensation?
London Underground is not legally obliged to compensate customers or
businesses for
disruptions arising from planned engineering work.
7. Who have you consulted with?
London Transport Users Committee (LTUC) who are our main transport
watchdog body,
the Corporation of London and key business groups. They all widely
approve with the
strategy and the benefits the work will bring
8. I am part of the Waterloo and City line team, what will I do during
the five month
closure?
Station staff will continue to work for their Group Station Manager in
the same roles.
Train Operators, who are on loan from Leytonstone depot anyway, will
work on the
Central line.
The small number of signal operators and duty managers will move to
either noncustomer
facing duties, or relocated to other customer service areas depending
on their
aspirations and business needs. All staff will retain their current pay
and conditions.
9. Analysis carried out by S&SD showed that the most unsuitable line
for a
blockade style closure, in terms of customer disbenefits, is the W&C
line? Why do
the work therefore as a major closure?
The method of evaluating customer disbenefit is a fluid one, factors
such as time of year,
availability of alternative transport and the significant risk of
Monday morning delays
following the number of weekend closures that had been previously been
envisaged
were taken into account as part of LU's review of the blockade
proposal.
These were weighed up against the benefits of the additional works now
included in the
scope and the contained disruption to our customers while delivering
London a show
piece project

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No big secrets, but I can't think of a line more suited to
evening/weekend closures, or where the 2 min journey time decrease is
less relevant. Some classic "LUspeak" though - "heritage features to be
retained - EH?2 (must be the NSE finishes at Bank!) and the phrase
"show piece project". The trains are so little used in comparison to
other lines they hardly need livery change, new upholstery or changed
window glass - why not do something about the window etching endemic on
the other lines run by Metronet?