FROM RMT PRESS OFFICE

On the day that Boris Johnson announced that he is going to sort the tube out for the Olympics the Mayor has been hit by a massive embarrassment as the entire service on the busy District Line stretch from Earls Court down to Wimbledon is closed this afternoon in advance of rush hour.

TFL are blaming emergency engineering works. An earlier stalled train at Putney Bridge took 80 minutes to de-train due to a shortage of staff.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

“The minute that Boris Johnson announces that he is going to sort out the daily chaos on the tube an entire section of the District Line is forced to close just in time for rush hour. It looks like the Mayor is living on a different planet to those who use the underground and those who work on it.

“Instead of making meaningless promises for the benefit of the media it’s about time the Mayor told Londoners the truth – the tube is bad now but it will get a whole lot worse when he piles through his latest £7.6 billion of cuts. Boris Johnson is setting London up to be an international transport laughing stock as the clock ticks down towards next years’ Olympics.”