§ Lord Lamont of Lerwickasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many commuters suffered prolonged delays when the Central Line of the London Underground was shut for nearly four hours after 6 pm on 4th September. [HL3934]
§ The Minister of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Macdonald of Tradeston)The incident at Liverpool Street affected the whole of the Central Line, and commuters on other lines as well. An accurate estimate of the numbers involved is not available.
§ Lord Lamont of Lerwickasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why a 30 amp fuse on a new underground train could not be replaced immediately in the incident on London Underground on 4 September, and whether such delays as occurred indicate a deficiency in the design of the train. [HL3935]
§ Lord Macdonald of TradestonThere is no 30 amp fuse on the type of train in question. The reason the train would not move on this occasion was the tripping (within design specification) of four filter charging circuit breakers. These are designed to protect the traction motors. The reason for tripping is the subject of an ongoing official investigation, as are the position of the circuit breakers and their inability to be reset when the train is in service in the tunnel. A summary of the results and recommendations of this investigation will be published by London Underground in due course.
§ Lord Lamont of Lerwickasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why there were not enough oxygen masks to treat passengers suffering from the effects of heat following the breakdown on the Central Line of the London Underground on 4 September. [HL3932]
§ Lord Macdonald of TradestonThe official investigation of this incident, which is still under way, has not revealed any evidence that the provision of emergency equipment was in any way lacking. As there are no requirements for London Underground to provide and maintain oxygen masks under current legislation, this specialist service was provided by the London Ambulance Service. In the region of 14 fully equipped ambulance units were deployed to Liverpool Street to treat those suffering from the effects of heat.