Jubilee line weekend closures scheduled till Easter 2010

The upgrade to the signalling system, which will deliver a 30 per cent increase in capacity with faster and more frequent Jubilee line journeys, was due to be completed by the end of 2009 but Tube Lines has fallen heavily behind schedule.

This week Tube Lines boss Dean Finch told the House of Commons transport select committee that the upgrade should be in operation by Autumn 2010. He apologised to the MPs for the delay to the work.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson told the same committee that the Jubilee Line upgrade "is not going very well" and described the situation as "very unsatisfactory".

Mr Johnson told the committee that the work depends on "a bunch of Canadian software programmers in Toronto".

LU has now agreed to a further 22 days of closures, including eight days of full line closures, up to and including Easter, when the line will be closed for four days.

"We regret that we have been put in a position where we have to grant these further closures and apologise to passengers for the further disruption that they will face next year as a result of Tube Lines' failure to complete the work," says London Underground managing director Richard Parry.

"It is vital Tube Lines take full advantage of this access and deliver the upgrade as soon as possible.

"We will do all we can to minimise the impact of these closures by providing alternative transport and information for our customers wherever possible."

London Underground has warned that further closures after Easter will be necessary and dates will be announced in due course.

Although London Underground says that it is providing "a comprehensive alternative transport plan", Transport for London has refused to provide a replacement bus service in SE1 west of London Bridge, citing a lack of space at Waterloo.

"The Jubilee Line is a lifeline for residents in Rotherhithe, Bermondsey and Canada Water and weekend closures cause great inconvenience," says Val Shawcross AM, London Assembly member for Lambeth & Southwark.

"It doesn't help residents to hear a lot of tit for tat between Transport for London and Tube Lines about whose fault the delays to the works are.

"I call on both parties to sit down sensibly together and work out a reasonable programme. My constituents just want their tube service to improve and are not too fussed about who is to blame."

Closure timetable up to and including Easter

19 December West Hampstead to Stanmore
20 December West Hampstead to Stanmore
26 December Full line
27 December Full line
28 December Full line
9 January Full line
10 January Full line
16 January West Hampstead to Stanmore
17 January West Hampstead to Stanmore
23 January West Hampstead to Stanmore
24 January West Hampstead to Stanmore
30 January Green Park to Stratford
31 January Green Park to Stratford
6 February West Hampstead to Stanmore
7 February West Hampstead to Stanmore
20 February Green Park to Stratford
21 February Green Park to Stratford
6 March Waterloo to Stanmore
7 March Waterloo to Stanmore
13 March Full line
14 March Full line
20 March Waterloo to Stanmore
21 March Waterloo to Stanmore
2 April Full line
3 April Full line
4 April Full line
5 April Full line