Jubilee Line blow to St John's Wood traders

TRADERS in St John's Wood have been dealt a huge blow after a Transport for London report revealed engineering work on the Jubilee Line is likely to continue into next year.

Weekend closures of the line to allow the works to take place were due to end in December but a TfL report released on Tuesday said there were "grave doubts" over Tube Lines and contractors Bechtel's ability to finish the work on time.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has branded the delay "unacceptable" and said: "Tube Lines must get its act together if Londoners are to benefit from faster, more frequent and reliable services on the Jubilee Line."

Upgrade work on the Jubilee Line, which has seen many weekend closures since February 2007, has made life very hard for commuters and traders, with several businesses in St John's Wood criticising the works.

London Underground managing director Richard Parry said: "We have already provided Tube Lines and Bechtel with a number of extra weekend closures over and above that required by the contracts, which has greatly inconvenienced passengers and businesses. But still they seek more.

"Regrettably, we now harbour grave doubts over Tube Lines' and Bechtel's ability to deliver the upgrade of the Jubilee Line by the end of December, which they are contracted to do."

But a spokeswoman for Tube Lines said the company still believed it would deliver the complex project on time.

She said: "We are asking for the geographical extension of five existing weekend closures over the next three months.

"We could then deliver, on time, the benefits to passengers this major upgrade will bring."

In nearby West Hampstead, also on the Jubilee Line, traders have gathered 150 signatures on a petition asking TfL to consider how badly the closures are affecting their businesses and to communicate more closely with them.