London Mayor Warns Of Underground Line Closure Without Extra Government Support

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, warned on Tuesday that an entire line of the citys underground may have to close If the UK government refuses to grant Transport for London (TfL) the emergency and long-term funding needed to keep the service running

LONDON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th November, 2021) The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, warned on Tuesday that an entire line of the citys underground may have to close If the UK government refuses to grant Transport for London (TfL) the emergency and long-term funding needed to keep the service running.

"This is no exaggeration. If the Government continues to starve TfL of funding, bus services would have to be reduced by almost a fifth, and Tube services would need to be cut by nearly 10 per cent," Khan said in a statement.

He added that apart from the prospect of having to cut bus and train services, the city may be forced to close one of the London Undergrounds 11 lines to achieve the savings it may need to make.

The current emergency funding granted by the government to help TfL cope with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, when passenger numbers fell by 95%, expires on December 11.

Khan said the city needs 500 million Pounds ($661 million) to keep services running until next April, plus about 1.2 billion pounds for 2022 and 2023.

City authorities have claimed that London contributes 36.1 billion pounds a year more to the UK Treasury than the government spends in the countrys capital.