TfL plan to introduce a timetable this month to even out gaps in the service but have given no update on when trains would be repaired to restore peak-hour numbers.
The central line route, which runs from West Ruislip to Epping, has been the victim of consistent disruptions caused primarily by a high number of defective trains.
In a board meeting on Wednesday, TFL commissioner Andy Lord admitted that that the organisation was struggling to return the central line to its previous standards of efficiency.
Lord proposed an emergency timetable aimed at reducing gaps between trains on the line. Therefore, more buses are set to be added between Hainault and Ilford as well as between Debden and Walthamstow Central.
Despite this, Lord also warned that the issues faced by the central line would likely spread to other routes as the number of defective trains rises.
Commuters have been voicing their displeasure at the delays on social media.
Hi @TfL , Central Line has been horrendous for a couple of months now, with serious safety issues to us users.
I'm not even complaining that it took me 1h40min to go from Whitechapel to Leytonstone. Someone could have gotten seriously hurt at Stratford today. pic.twitter.com/0UcLxrQGLP
— Fernanda A Perez (@FeAPerez6) January 30, 2024
A recent Freedom of Information Request by LondonWorld revealed that between November 2 and January 10 delays related to defective trains occurred on 45 occasions. Delays have continued every weekend since then.
