TUBE UNION RMT revealed today that a total communications and systems failure on the Jubilee Line for nearly an hour during the busy early evening period last Friday evening - 4th November - has exposed the lethal danger of Mayor Boris Johnson and TFL’s plans to bring in driverless trains.

Last Friday the screens in the control on the Jubilee Line went blank for 55 minutes from 18.50 hrs as main and back-up systems failed. Control did not know where units were in the deep tube system covered by the line.

Ten trains, carrying thousands of passengers, were stalled and had to be de-trained and moved in manual mode into platforms in an exercise that RMT says nails the lie that you don’t need train drivers to operate the system.

Staff worked together to rectify a major emergency situation before the system could be re-booted and the service restarted.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

“This major emergency last Friday evening exposes the lethal consequences of removing the drivers from the trains. The Jubilee Line is already heavily automated but this incident shows that you still need drivers to move into manual mode and take over when something goes wrong.

“Those from the Tory party banging the drum for driverless operation should read this report and hang their heads in shame. Their political game playing is literally dicing with death.

“Thousands of passengers relied on train and platform staff to get them safely through Friday night’s emergency and those arguing to axe those same staff stand accused of gross and criminal negligence.”