Tube chief hails privatisation

Tube privatisation is a "marriage made in heaven", the head of London Underground said today.

Public-private partnership was "the only show in town" and would lead to major improvements in coming years, said managing director Paul Godier.

Dismissing concerns about safety, he said London Underground would retain responsibility for the service during the day, with contractors taking over at night to look after the track.

"Our expertise is running the service. The job of the private sector is to provide the finance while maintaining and renewing the assets," he said. Referring to Ken Livingstone's unsuccessful legal challenge to the privatisation strategy, Mr Godier said: "It is very frustrating to see the continuing delays to getting on with finally fixing the Tube."

He offered scant endorsement of the Mayor's transport commissioner, Bob Kiley. Asked on BBC Radio London: "Do we need Bob Kiley?" he said: "You'll have to ask Ken Livingstone."

Claiming to have halved the number of delays caused by track faults, he said passengers would soon notice improvements in service, though big projects such as resignalling and buying new trains would take longer. The Northern line was now a "great success", no longer nicknamed the "misery line", he added.

He ruled out air-conditioning on below-surface lines because the units would take up too much passenger space.

Staff, however, had been given permission to take off their hats and ties and wear "summer clothing" when the temperature rose above 25C.

Answering criticism about the £10 penalty fare, Mr Godier said a more flexible policy was now in place for people with a "genuine excuse" for failing to have the right ticket.