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42% of Tube track rated very poor as TfL faces £6.5bn maintenance backlog
TfL says the rating does not mean the track is unsafe. Weekly incidents on the Underground now often top 350.
Key facts
- A TfL report rates 42% of London Underground track as "very poor"
- TfL's maintenance and renewal backlog stands at £6.5bn
- TfL says it needs £1.1bn to £1.2bn a year but averaged about £700m a year in the five-year period ending 2025/26
- Average weekly Tube incidents stayed at 200 or below from 2015 to 2022 and now often top 350
A TfL report rates 42% of London Underground track as “very poor”. It was presented to transport bosses at a London Assembly committee meeting on Wednesday, which was examining a £6.5bn backlog of deferred maintenance and renewal work across the capital’s transport network.
Richard Jones, TfL’s Director of Asset Performance Delivery, told the committee that the rating is not a sign that the track is unsafe. He said it can still restrict train frequency and make services less reliable.
Why so much Tube track is rated very poor
Mr Jones said TfL judges its track against modern standards, which assume newer rail set in concrete. Large parts of the Underground still rely on older legacy track and equipment.
TfL estimates it must spend £1.1bn to £1.2bn a year to stop its assets getting worse. Actual spending averaged about £700m a year in the five-year period ending in 2025/26, and the shortfall has built up to £6.5bn. That work includes replacing track, tunnels and stations, plus refurbishment.
TfL puts the backlog down to government funding that has been too low and too uncertain for the past decade. It says the end of the government’s revenue grant in 2018 had a significant effect on the money available for renewals.
More incidents and delays on the Tube
Members heard that the backlog is feeding more frequent and more serious incidents and delays. Average weekly incidents stayed at 200 or below from 2015 to 2022. They now often top 350.
Nick Garratt, who chairs the Budget and Performance Committee, asked whether the decline in TfL’s assets is now making Underground services worse. City Hall Conservatives leader Susan Hall, who asked whether the track posed a safety risk, said the figure should “set alarm bells ringing”. She accused London’s leaders of letting the city’s transport infrastructure deteriorate.
Key questions
Is Tube track rated very poor unsafe?
No, according to TfL's Richard Jones. He said the rating is not a safety verdict, though it can restrict train frequency and make services less reliable.
How big is TfL's maintenance backlog?
£6.5bn. TfL estimates it needs £1.1bn to £1.2bn a year, but actual spending averaged about £700m a year in the five-year period ending in 2025/26.
Why has the TfL backlog built up?
TfL blames government funding that has been too low and too uncertain for a decade. It also says the end of the government's revenue grant in 2018 cut the money available for renewals.
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