WALTHAMSTOW: Passengers "don't mind travel disruption" (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

WALTHAMSTOW: Passengers "don't mind travel disruption"

8:43am Friday 9th January 2009 in Waltham Forest News

TUBE passengers in Waltham Forest continue to face misery caused by engineering works - but the body which manages transport services in the capital says commuters don’t mind the disruption.

For the last 18 months passengers using the Victoria Line from Walthamstow have frequently faced closures of the line over whole weekends and early closures on week nights between Monday and Thursday due to engineering works.

The work is the first part of an eight-year overhaul of the line costing hundreds of millions of pounds, which will include new signalling, trains and refurbished stations.

Since the work began readers have contacted the Guardian to complain about the closures, particularly as they often seem to co-incide with closures on the Liverpool Street to Chingford overland railway line - a situation prompting Walthamstow MP Neil Gerrard to call for better co-operation between rail operators and transport authorities.

But according to a Transport for London (TfL) survey, three quarters of the 100 Waltham Forest passengers asked said the distress caused by engineering works is "worth the long term gains" in terms of getting better quality services.

Howard Collins, London Underground chief operating officer, said: "This survey shows people are aware that the planned engineering works on the Victoria Line are aimed at improving the service we provide.

"While all the benefits are yet to be seen we appreciate the patience of our passengers and ask them to continue to bear with us as the end result will be worth the short-term inconvenience."