Just what is the real cost of the Jubilee Line upgrade fiasco?

After years of disruption on the Jubilee Line further evidence has now come to light revealing some of the real costs from years of weekend closures on the tube line.

Following extensive questioning by Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, the Mayor has admitted that Transport for London has already lost between £10 to £12 million in ticket revenue due to the saga of continual weekend closures. Incredibly the Mayor is unable to even estimate what the final bill in lost ticket revenue will reach before the upgrades are ultimately completed.

Commenting on the Mayor’s replies to her questions, Caroline Pidgeon said:

“Back in August Transport for London admitted that the upgrade programme of the Jubilee Line had slipped again. After years of disruption to passengers, communities and businesses they announced a further programme of weekend closures that will almost certainly run into 2011.

"In addition to to the misery faced by passengers that simply wish to travel around London the fiasco of never ending weekend closures has hit many businesses for six. From restaurants and West End theatres to the O2 Centre the amount of lost weekend trade has been immense.

“It now only adds insult to injury to discover that in addition to the cost already paid by passengers and businesses there has also been such a serious loss in revenue for Transport for London. Such a loss in revenue will inevitably feed into either higher fares or reduced investment in key transport projects, with the passenger again losing out.

“The upgrade of the Jubilee Line has turned out to be a case study in exactly how not to upgrade the tube. There is now overwhelming evidence that carefully planned blockades of short sections of the tube for two or three weeks would be a far better way to upgrade the tube than the expensive fiasco of literally years and years of weekend closures.”