Ken’s Underground

Friday 3rd November 2000
What do we want from Ken’s Underground?

The issue of London Underground will dominate the transport debate this winter as Mayor Ken Livingstone appoints a new American Underground supremo to put it right. But what are our immediate concerns?

* Does our Underground fit the bill for safety?

* Are we happy at its reliability?

* What about the cleanliness and design of its stations and the reliability of their escalators?

* Do we really need New York’s subway chief, tough-guy Robert Kiley, to show us how to do the job?

* And how will it all be funded - by another government pact with private industry? By Ken’s dream of public financing by bond? Or by putting up our fares?

* And how will the transport sector unions react to change?

These are just some of the critical issues we shall discuss with a panel headed by Susan Kramer, former candidate for Mayor of London, now chairing the Rail and Tube sub-committee of Mr Livingstone's Transport for London group. With her will be our good friend John Stewart Vice Chairman of Transport 2000, plus a representative of our own District Line. And, as a bonus, Robin Etherington, public relations head of First Group plc, now bidding for the South West Trains’ franchise, will be giving us exclusive details of the exciting project for a 10 mile double-decker train tunnel from Wimbledon to
Kings Cross.