The Elizabeth Line is disrupted again! Bosses blame broken rail for fresh delays as Sadiq Khan says he is ‘deeply concerned’ about train chaos and blames Network Rail
- Once again the Elizabeth Line was plagued by delays today after a broken rail
- Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he was ‘deeply concerned’ about train chaos
Passengers have been left incandescent with rage after the Elizabeth Line was once again thrown into chaos.
Rail bosses said the Elizabeth Line was disrupted between Abbey Wood and Reading, Maidenhead and Heathrow Terminals because of a broken rail.
National Rail said the issue meant there would be delays ‘until the end of the day’.
Furious travellers branded the service ‘p*** poor’ and questioned whether there was ever a day that the Elizabeth Line ran smoothly.
It is yet another disruption on the beleaguered tube line that has been plagued by delays and disaster for weeks.
Earlier today, Sadiq Khan revealed he was ‘deeply concerned’ about the train chaos and blamed Network Rail.
It is yet another disruption on the beleaguered tube line that has been plagued by delays and disaster for weeks. Pictured: Delayed trains yesterday
Last Thursday, thousands of commuters endured four hours of power failure hell as they were left stranded in the dark before having to trudge back to the station along the tracks
Earlier today, Sadiq Khan revealed he was ‘deeply concerned’ about the train chaos and blamed Network Rail
Yesterday, passengers fumed after four separate issues including a signalling fault, defective track, a lineside fire and overhead wire issues caused huge delays.
At a TfL board meeting today, Khan said: ‘I do want to say something about the Elizabeth line.
‘I am deeply concerned about the recent incident on December 7 where several busy trains including four Elizabeth line services were stuck west of Paddington.
‘I appreciate this was caused by another operator’s train damaging overhead wires in the Acton area and as a result the power had to be turned off by Network Rail, resulting in all lines being blocked in and out of Paddington.
Passengers fumed today at even more delays on the beleaguered Elizabeth Line
Office of Rail and Road data on the cancellations score by operator from July to September 2023 and the percentage point (pp) change compared with the same period last year
‘However, the service on the Elizabeth line has not consistently met the high standards to which we all aspire and which it was aimed to deliver since its launch last year.
‘Londoners and others are rightly frustrated by the recent delays, cancellations and at times inadequate customer communication.
‘Furthermore the new connectivity the line delivers means that when it does have reliability issues it causes wider disruption to London’s transport network, with other TfL services often bearing the brunt of additional passengers.’
At the same meeting, TfL commissioner Andy Lord said: ‘The Great Western Network Rail infrastructure is our key challenge for the service.
READ MORE Elizabeth line passengers who missed concerts, paid £195 for a taxi home and were fined up to £26 for ‘expired’ tickets after being trapped on trains for hours are still chasing refunds days after power failure chaos
‘Failure of points, the signaling system and problems with overhead line electrification on the western surface section have continued to disrupt services.
‘In addition, we continue to focus on train reliability and performance.’
Speaking about last Thursday’s incident, he said services were impacted for two subsequent days while repairs were carried out.
He added: ‘This was a very significant event and as an industry we are working together to ensure we learn from it.
‘Firstly I want to sincerely apologise to affected customers for the disruption. I also want to thank staff involved in the detrainment who worked calmly and safely to assist passengers from the trains.
‘However the length of time customers spent stranded was not acceptable and a full review is underway. Additionally we are working through our service recovery measures for those customers affected.’
Today, passengers slammed the service.
One passenger said: ‘Does the Elizabeth Line ever have a day where there are no delays or cancelled trains? It really is a p*** poor service,’
Another said: ‘Six days in a row there’s been issues on this line.’
A third added: ‘The Elizabeth Line has cancellations again! How is this possible every day?!’
A Network Rail spokesperson said: ‘We share the mayor’s pride in the incredible change the Elizabeth Line has brought to travel in London and we also share his concern about reliability of the service and how we are looking after and caring for our passengers, particularly at times of disruption.
‘Huge investment and resources across the capital and its transport providers have gone into making the line the success it is today and we are as determined as the Mayor to see that success continue.
‘We look forward to meeting with him and TfL, and together, working in partnership, to make it better.’
MailOnline has contacted TfL and National Rail for comment.
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