Tube chief accuses 'weary' PPP firms

Relations between Tube chiefs and the private sector in charge of improving the ailing network today plunged to a new low.

Tim O'Toole, London Underground managing director, accused the private sector companies of behaving like " ageold infantry" rather than the dynamic "cavalry" they are supposed to be.

He said improvements to the Tube were far too long in arriving. The two private sector consortia, Metronet and Tube Lines, have contracts to maintain and improve the Tube for the next 30 years under the Government's controversial part-privatisation of the network.

LU says there are still far too many breakdowns of signals and tracks and overnight engineering work often overruns and ruins the morning peak service.

The two companies earned nearly £100 million pre-tax profit for the year ending last March - which critics say would have been better spent ploughed back into the network.

Mayor Ken Livingstone, transport commissioner Bob Kiley and LU share the view that the claimed lack of improvement in the Tube justifies their hard fought opposition to the public-private partnership (PPP). Mr O'Toole said of the private sector: "They may give us a substantially new Tube line for the Olympics but are not doing anything to help people get to work next week or even next month. These guys are supposed to be the cavalry but so far, they're the same world-weary infantry we saw under LU."

He acknowledged slow improvements in reliability but said: "We have got to get a lot better - that is my message."

John Weight, chief executive of Metronet which looks after two-thirds of the network, described some of the criticisms as " complete crap". He blamed late running engineering work on the limited time given for access to the track. Mr Weight said: "As part of our £17 billion investment we are renewing more than 200km of track before 2011. Since April 2003 we have completed more than 10 per cent of that target."

Terry Morgan, chief executive of Tube Lines said: "Our performance is either ahead or is in line with internal plans. I don't know of any successful business which doesn't have an objective of achieving profit."