Tube train faults lead to delays

Commuters and other travellers in London suffered fresh disruption and delays today because of faults on Tube trains.

A number of trains on the busy District Line were withdrawn from service last week after a defective bracket was discovered but, although that has now been resolved, there were other problems today.

A Transport for London spokesman said: "Our depot staff have been working flat out over the weekend to return all District Line trains to service, having identified a defective bracket through our rigorous maintenance regime last week.

"Whilst there are now no trains out of service due to the bracket issue, 10 other trains with routine faults that have developed whilst we have been prioritising the bracket works are also being repaired today and we aim to return these to service over the next couple of days.

"We apologise to passengers for the disruption this has caused, but passenger safety is our top priority."

Meanwhile, talks are expected to be held this week in a bid to avert fresh strikes by Tube workers in a dispute over 800 job cuts.

Bob Crow, general secretary of the Rail Maritime and Transport union, said: "London Underground are now lurching from crisis to crisis as the impact of their cuts unleashes total chaos on the Tube network. Short term savings measures have slashed maintenance schedules and ripped up the safety rule book and the consequences are now being rammed home on the District Line and beyond.

"Despite the evidence of a Tube system busting apart at the seams the management have now upped the ante and increased the job cuts plans to nearly 2,000 posts. We will continue to fight those savage cuts every step of the way.

"Mayor Boris Johnson is now presiding over a Tube system in meltdown, with lives at risk in a daily commuter lottery, and the time has come for him to stop the posturing, halt the cuts and meet with the unions to work out a solution to this crisis."