Stockwell Bus Garage

Stockwell Bus Garage - A Public Transport Cathedral


I have always had a soft spot for Will Self ever since he was caught powdering his nose with Colombian snuff on the then Prime Minister’s John Major’s campaign plane in 1997. Now the writer and loyal Stockwellian has proposed Stockwell Bus Garage (designed by Adie, Button and Partners, with the engineer A. E. Beer) as his choice for London's Most Important Building. He was speaking as part of a series of Royal Academy lectures on 14th March 2011 at the Geological Society, Piccadilly. Self's appreciation of the garage as grown from passing it every day. It is, he says, "a working building, integrally connected to London’s public transport".


Will Self himself

It is certainly a good choice for this is a Titan amongst bus garages with the buses housed in cathedral like surroundings. Stockwell Garage is a large bus garage in Stockwell, London. It was designed by Adie, Button and Partners, with the engineer A E Beer, and was opened in 1952. Stockwell garage was built to replace Norwood tram depot.



It is typical of much of the concrete architecture built in the post war reconstruction period in London around the Festival of Britain. There was a steel shortage, so concrete was used to support the roof. However, the opportunity was taken to create a bravura piece of reinforced concrete design. The 393 ft long roof structure is supported by ten very shallow "two-hinged" arched ribs. Each rib is 7 ft deep at the centre of the arches, 10 ft 6 in at the end, and spans 194 ft. Cantilevered barrel vaults between, topped by large skylights, span the 42 ft between each pair of ribs. The vaults are crossed by smaller ribs to prevent torsion. Seen from the outside, the main arches are visible as outward-leaning buttresses, with a segmental curve to each bay forming a flowing roof line. The garage provides 73,350 sq ft of unobstructed parking space and could originally house 200 buses. At the time of construction it was the largest unsupported area under one roof in Europe. Since 1988 the garage has been a Grade II* listed building reflecting its importance in post-war architectural and engineering history.




So top marks to Will Self for publicising this wonderful example of inventive post-war utilitarianism. Many wonderful bus garages have bitten the dust for as part of privatisation of London’s Bus services those so clever people at HM Treasury decreed that bus garages should be sold off in another short term asset stripping drive. Clever Wallahs at the Treasury, not only have their policies messed up Britain at large and put us in hock to scores of ludicrously expensive PFI’s but their diktat on selling off garages has meant it is practically impossible to retender bus routes. As Treasury Wallahs don’t use buses they didn’t realise that they need to go asleep near to their customers at night. And bus garages are a bit like buses, BIG!

Many have already been sold off, Battersea is a spectacular apartment complex along the Thames, Victoria is a supermarket with yuppie flats over. Stockwell is a wonderful space which could be adapted to many uses in the right hands if it ceases to be a bus garage. Let us hope that Will Self’s eloquent advocacy and the Grade II* listing ensures that this magnificent space is utilised and loved for years to come.

Stockwell Bus Garage

Stockwell Bus Garage - A Public Transport Cathedral


I have always had a soft spot for Will Self ever since he was caught powdering his nose with Colombian snuff on the then Prime Minister’s John Major’s campaign plane in 1997. Now the writer and loyal Stockwellian has proposed Stockwell Bus Garage (designed by Adie, Button and Partners, with the engineer A. E. Beer) as his choice for London's Most Important Building. He was speaking as part of a series of Royal Academy lectures on 14th March 2011 at the Geological Society, Piccadilly. Self's appreciation of the garage as grown from passing it every day. It is, he says, "a working building, integrally connected to London’s public transport".


Will Self himself

It is certainly a good choice for this is a Titan amongst bus garages with the buses housed in cathedral like surroundings. Stockwell Garage is a large bus garage in Stockwell, London. It was designed by Adie, Button and Partners, with the engineer A E Beer, and was opened in 1952. Stockwell garage was built to replace Norwood tram depot.



It is typical of much of the concrete architecture built in the post war reconstruction period in London around the Festival of Britain. There was a steel shortage, so concrete was used to support the roof. However, the opportunity was taken to create a bravura piece of reinforced concrete design. The 393 ft long roof structure is supported by ten very shallow "two-hinged" arched ribs. Each rib is 7 ft deep at the centre of the arches, 10 ft 6 in at the end, and spans 194 ft. Cantilevered barrel vaults between, topped by large skylights, span the 42 ft between each pair of ribs. The vaults are crossed by smaller ribs to prevent torsion. Seen from the outside, the main arches are visible as outward-leaning buttresses, with a segmental curve to each bay forming a flowing roof line. The garage provides 73,350 sq ft of unobstructed parking space and could originally house 200 buses. At the time of construction it was the largest unsupported area under one roof in Europe. Since 1988 the garage has been a Grade II* listed building reflecting its importance in post-war architectural and engineering history.




So top marks to Will Self for publicising this wonderful example of inventive post-war utilitarianism. Many wonderful bus garages have bitten the dust for as part of privatisation of London’s Bus services those so clever people at HM Treasury decreed that bus garages should be sold off in another short term asset stripping drive. Clever Wallahs at the Treasury, not only have their policies messed up Britain at large and put us in hock to scores of ludicrously expensive PFI’s but their diktat on selling off garages has meant it is practically impossible to retender bus routes. As Treasury Wallahs don’t use buses they didn’t realise that they need to go asleep near to their customers at night. And bus garages are a bit like buses, BIG!

Many have already been sold off, Battersea is a spectacular apartment complex along the Thames, Victoria is a supermarket with yuppie flats over. Stockwell is a wonderful space which could be adapted to many uses in the right hands if it ceases to be a bus garage. Let us hope that Will Self’s eloquent advocacy and the Grade II* listing ensures that this magnificent space is utilised and loved for years to come.

Bozza’s Bus for London

It has always been my ambition to become the name of a common place object like Benedict Arnold became “Eggs Benedict” or Earl Grey became a tea. So I must resent the current Mayor for London, Boris Johnson, (Note; Up for re-election in May 2012) for his effortless accomplishment in this area. He promised Londoner’s “at no cost” a bicycle hire scheme and so (at a cost of £35 M+) we get the “Boris Bikes.” He promised to get rid of “Bendy Buses” and now we have the “Bozza Bus” – well 5 of them due for delivery in 2012, just around the time I predict Boris will be leaving office. A full-scale model of London's new Routemaster bus has been unveiled.


Boris Johnson in front of the original Routemaster launching the design competition for a "New Bus for London - NB4L"

London mayor Boris Johnson said the buses, which will come into service 2012, were a combination of "nostalgia" and the "latest technology". The fuel-efficient bus will be quieter than its diesel-run predecessor and have a platform offering passengers the traditional hop-on hop-off service. Wrightbus is making the vehicle at Ballymena in Northern Ireland and the full size model has gone on show at Acton Transport Depot in west London where London’s Transport Museum keeps its “Big stuff”.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2007/11/londons-transport-museum.html

The vehicle was designed by Thomas Heatherwick of Foster Design, with its interior inspired by the old Routemaster. The new bus will return to the driver-and-conductor model - a key feature of the original version. The old Routemaster was withdrawn from regular service in 2005 and now runs just on two heritage routes in London.

Lord Foster said: “I am delighted that we have won joint first prize with the Aston Martin/Foster + Partners design. This project has really captured my imagination. London’s buses are so much a part of the essence of this city – functionally, symbolically and geographically. They help us draw a mental map – their destinations are London’s historic places, often green: Shepherds Bush, Islington Green, Hampstead Heath, Green Park. Our design seeks to combine contemporary innovation with timelessness. Like the original Routemaster – which was ahead of its time and consequently endured – a new bus for London should establish a whole new travel experience that espouses 21st century aspirations, while celebrating the memory and the experience of the original.”



Mr Johnson said: "Standing on the rear platform of this delectable bus brings back a sense of nostalgia but conversely also demonstrates the quintessence of the latest technology and design, making this bus fit for the 21st Century. It is wonderful to see those two-dimensional designs we unveiled in May have been forged into this amazing bus and I cannot wait to be launching the buses when they first enter public service in 2012." Mark Nodder, managing director of the manufacturer's parent company Wright Group, said seeing the design come to life was "a real thrill".

Jo deBank, of pressure group London TravelWatch, said while innovations in design were welcome, her organisation had concerns about passenger safety on the open platform at the rear of the vehicle. "We also question the cost of two-man operated buses at a time when Transport for London's budget is under real pressure, and we already have concerns about a reduction in services," she said. A prototype will be delivered by next year and the first five new buses will be seen on the roads by early 2012.

But here is a not untypical comment from the London Evening Standard;

"Bendy buses are atrocious. I don't travel on them but they look so dangerous and it's like cattle class with nowhere to stand."

That tells you great deal about the Bendy 'debate' – much of the debate has been informed by people who don't use the buses but now believe they can't sit down on them, can't stand up on them and that they might veer off the road and murder their children at the drop of a hat. As for the Routemaster debate let’s agree that the Routemaster (and the RT) were revolutionary 40 years ago with their narrow, compact design, light weight due to the use of aluminium (and a fibreglass bonnet) responsive engine and automatic gearbox. But they were a product of their time (and a massive centralised organisation which military style rebuilt them every 7 years) and the lack of access and running costs of having a conductor (who with Oyster would NOT take fares) cannot be justified today. More seriously what are the public safety implications of an open platform, who NOW designs a transport solution with a known fatal risk factor? It would be interesting to have a crystal ball and earwig how that one would play in a future court case?


London's iconic Routemaster Bus

The Old Routemaster wasn't just a bus; it was an iconic example of industrial engineering-cum-aesthetic tour de force which was every bit as important to Londoners and tourists alike as Big Ben, Carnaby Street in the swinging sixties and the dear old Queen Mum. Launching in 1954 and built by the Associated Equipment Company, it became a recognisable worldwide symbol of London, adorning postcards and becoming the must-have holiday snap for international visitors.



However for all Bozza the Buses excitement at his new Boy Toy there are some significant drawbacks. First there is the small matter of costs and revenue. Five buses are being built by Wrightbus at £7.8 million or £1.56 M a copy. OK this is for a prototype but there is no certainty it will go into to production so this Boris Toy could be a very expensive vanity project which will leave Londoner’s short-changed, have less capacity than the “Bendy Buses” (90 to 149) and be difficult for people of limited mobility, with shopping or children. To be anyway competitive the “New Routemaster” will need to be manufactured in its thousands which seems unlikely. And with two stairs and 3 entrances will this not seem a somewhat extravagant example of overdesign to solve a problem which isn’t really there? The previous Routemaster had mechanical simplicity on its side which is why it lasted over 40 years – will the same be said of the Bozza Bus?


The Bozza Bus

Why do we believe that there is something so unique about the streets of London that it requires a special bus which by its very nature would fly in the face of procurement efficiency? Is this not a solution which would have obsolescence built in, another in a long line of British World Beaters which never beat anything?


See also;

Bend it like Boris

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/10/bend-it-like-boris.html

A Bus for London

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/10/bus-for-london.html

Routemaster to Perdition

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/12/routemaster-to-perdition.html

Bozza’s Bus for London

It has always been my ambition to become the name of a common place object like Benedict Arnold became “Eggs Benedict” or Earl Grey became a tea. So I must resent the current Mayor for London, Boris Johnson, (Note; Up for re-election in May 2012) for his effortless accomplishment in this area. He promised Londoner’s “at no cost” a bicycle hire scheme and so (at a cost of £35 M+) we get the “Boris Bikes.” He promised to get rid of “Bendy Buses” and now we have the “Bozza Bus” – well 5 of them due for delivery in 2012, just around the time I predict Boris will be leaving office. A full-scale model of London's new Routemaster bus has been unveiled.


Boris Johnson in front of the original Routemaster launching the design competition for a "New Bus for London - NB4L"

London mayor Boris Johnson said the buses, which will come into service 2012, were a combination of "nostalgia" and the "latest technology". The fuel-efficient bus will be quieter than its diesel-run predecessor and have a platform offering passengers the traditional hop-on hop-off service. Wrightbus is making the vehicle at Ballymena in Northern Ireland and the full size model has gone on show at Acton Transport Depot in west London where London’s Transport Museum keeps its “Big stuff”.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2007/11/londons-transport-museum.html

The vehicle was designed by Thomas Heatherwick of Foster Design, with its interior inspired by the old Routemaster. The new bus will return to the driver-and-conductor model - a key feature of the original version. The old Routemaster was withdrawn from regular service in 2005 and now runs just on two heritage routes in London.

Lord Foster said: “I am delighted that we have won joint first prize with the Aston Martin/Foster + Partners design. This project has really captured my imagination. London’s buses are so much a part of the essence of this city – functionally, symbolically and geographically. They help us draw a mental map – their destinations are London’s historic places, often green: Shepherds Bush, Islington Green, Hampstead Heath, Green Park. Our design seeks to combine contemporary innovation with timelessness. Like the original Routemaster – which was ahead of its time and consequently endured – a new bus for London should establish a whole new travel experience that espouses 21st century aspirations, while celebrating the memory and the experience of the original.”



Mr Johnson said: "Standing on the rear platform of this delectable bus brings back a sense of nostalgia but conversely also demonstrates the quintessence of the latest technology and design, making this bus fit for the 21st Century. It is wonderful to see those two-dimensional designs we unveiled in May have been forged into this amazing bus and I cannot wait to be launching the buses when they first enter public service in 2012." Mark Nodder, managing director of the manufacturer's parent company Wright Group, said seeing the design come to life was "a real thrill".

Jo deBank, of pressure group London TravelWatch, said while innovations in design were welcome, her organisation had concerns about passenger safety on the open platform at the rear of the vehicle. "We also question the cost of two-man operated buses at a time when Transport for London's budget is under real pressure, and we already have concerns about a reduction in services," she said. A prototype will be delivered by next year and the first five new buses will be seen on the roads by early 2012.

But here is a not untypical comment from the London Evening Standard;

"Bendy buses are atrocious. I don't travel on them but they look so dangerous and it's like cattle class with nowhere to stand."

That tells you great deal about the Bendy 'debate' – much of the debate has been informed by people who don't use the buses but now believe they can't sit down on them, can't stand up on them and that they might veer off the road and murder their children at the drop of a hat. As for the Routemaster debate let’s agree that the Routemaster (and the RT) were revolutionary 40 years ago with their narrow, compact design, light weight due to the use of aluminium (and a fibreglass bonnet) responsive engine and automatic gearbox. But they were a product of their time (and a massive centralised organisation which military style rebuilt them every 7 years) and the lack of access and running costs of having a conductor (who with Oyster would NOT take fares) cannot be justified today. More seriously what are the public safety implications of an open platform, who NOW designs a transport solution with a known fatal risk factor? It would be interesting to have a crystal ball and earwig how that one would play in a future court case?


London's iconic Routemaster Bus

The Old Routemaster wasn't just a bus; it was an iconic example of industrial engineering-cum-aesthetic tour de force which was every bit as important to Londoners and tourists alike as Big Ben, Carnaby Street in the swinging sixties and the dear old Queen Mum. Launching in 1954 and built by the Associated Equipment Company, it became a recognisable worldwide symbol of London, adorning postcards and becoming the must-have holiday snap for international visitors.



However for all Bozza the Buses excitement at his new Boy Toy there are some significant drawbacks. First there is the small matter of costs and revenue. Five buses are being built by Wrightbus at £7.8 million or £1.56 M a copy. OK this is for a prototype but there is no certainty it will go into to production so this Boris Toy could be a very expensive vanity project which will leave Londoner’s short-changed, have less capacity than the “Bendy Buses” (90 to 149) and be difficult for people of limited mobility, with shopping or children. To be anyway competitive the “New Routemaster” will need to be manufactured in its thousands which seems unlikely. And with two stairs and 3 entrances will this not seem a somewhat extravagant example of overdesign to solve a problem which isn’t really there? The previous Routemaster had mechanical simplicity on its side which is why it lasted over 40 years – will the same be said of the Bozza Bus?


The Bozza Bus

Why do we believe that there is something so unique about the streets of London that it requires a special bus which by its very nature would fly in the face of procurement efficiency? Is this not a solution which would have obsolescence built in, another in a long line of British World Beaters which never beat anything?


See also;

Bend it like Boris

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/10/bend-it-like-boris.html

A Bus for London

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/10/bus-for-london.html

Routemaster to Perdition

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/12/routemaster-to-perdition.html

Gone Upstairs

No. 36 Nightbus

There is a standing hoary old Londoner’s joke about a skeleton being found on a Circle line train and being handed in at the Lost Property Office in Baker Street. The “joke” being that he had a heart attack and was just left circling London. This of course never happened and there are strict security checks on the Underground with drivers physically walking through trains at end of shifts and each time they detrain or go into sidings. There is also the “joke” about the young kid telling his mum that he doesn’t want to go upstairs on the Double Decker bus as its dangerous because there is no driver there.

Well today, these old chestnuts have unfortunately been echoed by a disturbing incident on a London Bus, details of which have been revealed at a Coroner’s inquest into the death of a young Polish drug user in London. Bus staff are facing disciplinary action after a dead passenger was driven around London because the driver failed to spot his body. Pawel Modzelewski died on the night bus and remained there unnoticed until a member of the public raised the alarm more than six hours later, an inquest was told. The 25-year-old had got on the No. 36 bus after midnight in Queen's Park and CCTV footage shows him slumped over his seat 12 minutes later.

The driver of the bus noticed Mr Modzelewski on the top deck but "forgot" about him when he went home for the night, Southwark coroner's court heard. Paul Bailey, accident prevention manager for London Central Bus Company, told the hearing the driver thought Mr Modzelewski was asleep and tried to rouse him at New Cross Gate bus garage. He said: "There was no response. He drove the bus into the garage to be refuelled and cleaned by contractors. He forgot to tell anyone about the man. The cleaners didn't clean the bus and on finishing his duty, the driver went home."


London Central Bus Company

The dead man, originally from Poland, was discovered by a commuter on the bus the next morning. In a statement Morlaye Keppy-Camara said: "I got on the 171 bus and went upstairs. I walked towards the back of the bus. As I did so I passed a white male. He was slumped forwards in his seat and not moving." Mr Keppy-Camara noticed vomit on Mr Modzelewski's clothes and spoke to the driver. Police discovered an empty syringe in Mr Modzelewski's right hand and a small wrap of what appeared to be heroin.

Recording a narrative verdict, coroner Dr Andrew Harris said the cause of death was an overdose of drink and drugs, but added there were "missed opportunities" to save Mr Modzelewski's life. Mr Modzelewski's uncle Eligiusz, who is also living in the UK, said: "If my nephew had had help earlier, maybe things would have been different."

How awful this is for his family, especially as it was stated there were missed opportunities to possibly save his life. It is awful to think somebody could be taken ill and just ignored. And regardless of how busy a bus is surely somebody should check nothing has been left on a bus when it comes to the end of its journey, be it a person, a bag or even a bomb! However at the end of the route, the drivers should always check the bus for any remaining passengers before starting the return journey on the route, or going to the depot. This is very much standard practice, and is done for all trains and tubes too.

The drivers job on a night bus is however difficult as they carry revellers coming home from pubs and clubs who are often worse for wear and have challenging behaviour. Perhaps it is unreasonable to expect a driver to deal with all the background issues as well as drive at a very demanding time when the behaviour of pedestrians and other road users is challenging. Maybe there is a case for increasing Night Bus fares in London and having a security guard on each bus to deal with the background issues and anti-social behaviour and provide reassurance to passengers? I know many passengers on night buses who currently feel nervous using them would feel far more secure if there was a security guard on board.

Gone Upstairs

No. 36 Nightbus

There is a standing hoary old Londoner’s joke about a skeleton being found on a Circle line train and being handed in at the Lost Property Office in Baker Street. The “joke” being that he had a heart attack and was just left circling London. This of course never happened and there are strict security checks on the Underground with drivers physically walking through trains at end of shifts and each time they detrain or go into sidings. There is also the “joke” about the young kid telling his mum that he doesn’t want to go upstairs on the Double Decker bus as its dangerous because there is no driver there.

Well today, these old chestnuts have unfortunately been echoed by a disturbing incident on a London Bus, details of which have been revealed at a Coroner’s inquest into the death of a young Polish drug user in London. Bus staff are facing disciplinary action after a dead passenger was driven around London because the driver failed to spot his body. Pawel Modzelewski died on the night bus and remained there unnoticed until a member of the public raised the alarm more than six hours later, an inquest was told. The 25-year-old had got on the No. 36 bus after midnight in Queen's Park and CCTV footage shows him slumped over his seat 12 minutes later.

The driver of the bus noticed Mr Modzelewski on the top deck but "forgot" about him when he went home for the night, Southwark coroner's court heard. Paul Bailey, accident prevention manager for London Central Bus Company, told the hearing the driver thought Mr Modzelewski was asleep and tried to rouse him at New Cross Gate bus garage. He said: "There was no response. He drove the bus into the garage to be refuelled and cleaned by contractors. He forgot to tell anyone about the man. The cleaners didn't clean the bus and on finishing his duty, the driver went home."


London Central Bus Company

The dead man, originally from Poland, was discovered by a commuter on the bus the next morning. In a statement Morlaye Keppy-Camara said: "I got on the 171 bus and went upstairs. I walked towards the back of the bus. As I did so I passed a white male. He was slumped forwards in his seat and not moving." Mr Keppy-Camara noticed vomit on Mr Modzelewski's clothes and spoke to the driver. Police discovered an empty syringe in Mr Modzelewski's right hand and a small wrap of what appeared to be heroin.

Recording a narrative verdict, coroner Dr Andrew Harris said the cause of death was an overdose of drink and drugs, but added there were "missed opportunities" to save Mr Modzelewski's life. Mr Modzelewski's uncle Eligiusz, who is also living in the UK, said: "If my nephew had had help earlier, maybe things would have been different."

How awful this is for his family, especially as it was stated there were missed opportunities to possibly save his life. It is awful to think somebody could be taken ill and just ignored. And regardless of how busy a bus is surely somebody should check nothing has been left on a bus when it comes to the end of its journey, be it a person, a bag or even a bomb! However at the end of the route, the drivers should always check the bus for any remaining passengers before starting the return journey on the route, or going to the depot. This is very much standard practice, and is done for all trains and tubes too.

The drivers job on a night bus is however difficult as they carry revellers coming home from pubs and clubs who are often worse for wear and have challenging behaviour. Perhaps it is unreasonable to expect a driver to deal with all the background issues as well as drive at a very demanding time when the behaviour of pedestrians and other road users is challenging. Maybe there is a case for increasing Night Bus fares in London and having a security guard on each bus to deal with the background issues and anti-social behaviour and provide reassurance to passengers? I know many passengers on night buses who currently feel nervous using them would feel far more secure if there was a security guard on board.

Tube Strike; The Reviews

Bob Crow of the RMT

Well the two day RMT Strike which brought misery and inconvenience to millions of Londoners and visitors to the capital is over and the “reviews” are in. Inconvenience it certainly brought to those who work in the capital but it brought misery to the elderly, the disabled and those who were travelling for hospital and medical appointments. And it brought hardship to temporary workers who lost money by being unable to work unlike the secure well remunerated jobs with final salary pensions of those who caused the disruption.

The RMT Tube Strike caused major disruption in London Town in the morning rush hour on the first day and the public view was the Capital being held to ransom by small group who are England’s equivalent of the Teamsters! The alternative travel arrangements in London were pants! - Bus lanes were blocked with deliveries; there were road works all over the place and empty tourist buses just parked with no customers blocking the red buses full to the gunwales. Londoner's need joined up Government and planning - not what we have seen during the strike - All soundbite and waffle with no reality on the ground. Worst of all was the World Cup qualifier at Wembley where Wembley Stadium Station was closed from midday to “avoid” overcrowding despite three train companies being scheduled to run trains to the station for the match.



On the Wednesday morning Chiltern railways lost the Aylesbury Line through Amersham because the LU signal box at Amersham wasn’t manned and despite assurances the same thing happened next morning when Harrow on the Hill signals were not manned. Getting to Marylebone from Princes Risborough on the first morning of the strike the Underground station was firmly closed. I made the mistake of getting the No. 453 bendy bus but congestion was woeful in London with road works and deliveries on Red Routes (legal up to 11 am and not suspended during the strikes) and the Bendy being torturous in heavy traffic. I abandoned the bus and walked the rest of the way across London in heavy rain.

But what a difference a day makes. This morning (Thursday) Marylebone Underground was open and trains were running freely on the Bakerloo, Jubilee and most Tube Lines. Clearly the strike had lost support, more were coming to work and the situation improved as the day went on. What also was striking were the Tube staff talking to and helping passengers who clearly appreciated those who kept the service running.


Tube trains stuck in the depot

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said he "deplored" the Tube strike, as services slowly returned to normal following the 48-hour walkout. The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) action ended at 1859 BST but Transport for London (TfL) said a full service would not resume until Friday morning.

Liberal Democrat Lord Bradshaw called the behaviour of RMT leader Bob Crow and strikers "utterly reprehensible". The walkout followed a breakdown in pay talks with London Underground (LU). Further talks between the LU and RMT - which wants a 5% pay rise and a promise of no compulsory redundancies - will be held next week to try to end the dispute.



During a Lords debate on public transport, Lord Adonis said: "I deplore the underground strike in London today and urge the RMT to engage constructively with Transport for London to ensure that there is no repetition." Lord Bradshaw said: "The behaviour of Mr Crow and the RMT is utterly reprehensible. There are mechanisms for dealing with disputes. People working on the Underground are well paid and they have long holidays. The strikers' behaviour has been pretty disgraceful."

He added: "Londoners are being held to ransom and many people who are in fear of losing their jobs are making extraordinary efforts to get to work because they think that if they are missed for a couple of days they can be missed for a good deal longer."



On Thursday Mr Crow accused London mayor Boris Johnson of "playing politics" with the Tube by deliberately intervening to scupper a last-minute deal. Mr Johnson said the allegation was "completely untrue". Union boss Bob Crow today gloated over the "success" of the Tube strike as he threatened more walkouts. The RMT leader said his members could launch fresh industrial action as early as two weeks' time - despite signs of the strike crumbling. Many picket lines were deserted today and London Underground managed to run trains on nine out of 11 lines.

But millions of commuters were caught up in gridlock as central London took the brunt of the disruption. Mr Crow turned up for a picket line at Queen's Park on the Bakerloo line, which was running a limited service. He boasted about the industrial action. "I'm really pleased. It was a solid success," he said. "The whole city ground to a halt and the disruption it caused was all over the papers."



Mayor Boris Johnson said the number of trains running showed the lack of support for the strike. He paid tribute to staff who had crossed picket lines to go to work as well as to the number of Londoners who had used crowded buses and trains to keep London operating. He said it showed the weakness in the RMT's case and criticised Mr Crow for "moving the goal posts". Mr Johnson said: "I do apologise for the trouble that has taken place and I think it is very sad, but I urge the RMT to come to their senses and to do the right thing and call off the strike.”

"The people in London have shown fantastic resolve by going to work in such fantastic numbers. This is a testament to the weakness and fragility of the strike. The RMT have greatly undermined themselves by this action."

The hefty six-footer Bob Crow has a reputation for picking his battles well and the RMT is one of the few unions with a growing membership. According to the latest TUC figures it has 75,906 members. But after the half-cock response to the latest 48-hour Tube walkout serious questions are being asked about his judgment.


The alternative travel arrangements

Aslef, the rival Tube union, said today: "It seems Bob Crow is now doing his best to annoy fellow trade unions." Officially Aslef describes the strike as "premature" but the private language is more colourful. A hint of RMT rebellion emerged in the voting figures. Of 10,000 eligible to vote, just 2,810 supported the strike call with 488 against. The rest took the easy way out and didn't bother -although they will, of course, accept any increased pay and working conditions improvements won by the union. Just before the strike started Mr Crow said: "We know that it will receive solid support from RMT members across the Tube network." No, it hasn't. It was a rare misjudgement by Mr Crow.



The last two Victoria line strikes, in support of sacked train driver Carl Campbell, have closed the line completely. It's a different picture now: Mr Crow quietly slipped in a third strike on the Victoria line today to run in conjunction with the main dispute. This strike was only announced to LU, as the union is legally required to do, and not to passengers. The Victoria line is an RMT stronghold but today trains ran along a major part of the route - Victoria to Seven Sisters - where Mr Crow was on early morning picket line duty.

Past network-wide strikes have seen a total shutdown. Compare that with today: during this morning's peak 120 trains ran out of a possible 522; by lunchtime the figure had increased to 140 out of a usual 420. London Underground stated: "We have had lots of drivers turning up." Did that include RMT members? "It must do by the number of people who have reported for duty," said LU. This encouraged even more staff to return to work today, the second half of the stoppage. Union observers ask whether Mr Crow has been bounced into a self-defeating dispute by his even more far-Left fellow officials. There seems to be no immediate threat to his leadership in the absence of a credible alternative. But his reputation as a union general that chooses his battle grounds wisely and normally delivers a victory has been badly damaged.

Tube Strike; The Reviews

Bob Crow of the RMT

Well the two day RMT Strike which brought misery and inconvenience to millions of Londoners and visitors to the capital is over and the “reviews” are in. Inconvenience it certainly brought to those who work in the capital but it brought misery to the elderly, the disabled and those who were travelling for hospital and medical appointments. And it brought hardship to temporary workers who lost money by being unable to work unlike the secure well remunerated jobs with final salary pensions of those who caused the disruption.

The RMT Tube Strike caused major disruption in London Town in the morning rush hour on the first day and the public view was the Capital being held to ransom by small group who are England’s equivalent of the Teamsters! The alternative travel arrangements in London were pants! - Bus lanes were blocked with deliveries; there were road works all over the place and empty tourist buses just parked with no customers blocking the red buses full to the gunwales. Londoner's need joined up Government and planning - not what we have seen during the strike - All soundbite and waffle with no reality on the ground. Worst of all was the World Cup qualifier at Wembley where Wembley Stadium Station was closed from midday to “avoid” overcrowding despite three train companies being scheduled to run trains to the station for the match.



On the Wednesday morning Chiltern railways lost the Aylesbury Line through Amersham because the LU signal box at Amersham wasn’t manned and despite assurances the same thing happened next morning when Harrow on the Hill signals were not manned. Getting to Marylebone from Princes Risborough on the first morning of the strike the Underground station was firmly closed. I made the mistake of getting the No. 453 bendy bus but congestion was woeful in London with road works and deliveries on Red Routes (legal up to 11 am and not suspended during the strikes) and the Bendy being torturous in heavy traffic. I abandoned the bus and walked the rest of the way across London in heavy rain.

But what a difference a day makes. This morning (Thursday) Marylebone Underground was open and trains were running freely on the Bakerloo, Jubilee and most Tube Lines. Clearly the strike had lost support, more were coming to work and the situation improved as the day went on. What also was striking were the Tube staff talking to and helping passengers who clearly appreciated those who kept the service running.


Tube trains stuck in the depot

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said he "deplored" the Tube strike, as services slowly returned to normal following the 48-hour walkout. The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) action ended at 1859 BST but Transport for London (TfL) said a full service would not resume until Friday morning.

Liberal Democrat Lord Bradshaw called the behaviour of RMT leader Bob Crow and strikers "utterly reprehensible". The walkout followed a breakdown in pay talks with London Underground (LU). Further talks between the LU and RMT - which wants a 5% pay rise and a promise of no compulsory redundancies - will be held next week to try to end the dispute.



During a Lords debate on public transport, Lord Adonis said: "I deplore the underground strike in London today and urge the RMT to engage constructively with Transport for London to ensure that there is no repetition." Lord Bradshaw said: "The behaviour of Mr Crow and the RMT is utterly reprehensible. There are mechanisms for dealing with disputes. People working on the Underground are well paid and they have long holidays. The strikers' behaviour has been pretty disgraceful."

He added: "Londoners are being held to ransom and many people who are in fear of losing their jobs are making extraordinary efforts to get to work because they think that if they are missed for a couple of days they can be missed for a good deal longer."



On Thursday Mr Crow accused London mayor Boris Johnson of "playing politics" with the Tube by deliberately intervening to scupper a last-minute deal. Mr Johnson said the allegation was "completely untrue". Union boss Bob Crow today gloated over the "success" of the Tube strike as he threatened more walkouts. The RMT leader said his members could launch fresh industrial action as early as two weeks' time - despite signs of the strike crumbling. Many picket lines were deserted today and London Underground managed to run trains on nine out of 11 lines.

But millions of commuters were caught up in gridlock as central London took the brunt of the disruption. Mr Crow turned up for a picket line at Queen's Park on the Bakerloo line, which was running a limited service. He boasted about the industrial action. "I'm really pleased. It was a solid success," he said. "The whole city ground to a halt and the disruption it caused was all over the papers."



Mayor Boris Johnson said the number of trains running showed the lack of support for the strike. He paid tribute to staff who had crossed picket lines to go to work as well as to the number of Londoners who had used crowded buses and trains to keep London operating. He said it showed the weakness in the RMT's case and criticised Mr Crow for "moving the goal posts". Mr Johnson said: "I do apologise for the trouble that has taken place and I think it is very sad, but I urge the RMT to come to their senses and to do the right thing and call off the strike.”

"The people in London have shown fantastic resolve by going to work in such fantastic numbers. This is a testament to the weakness and fragility of the strike. The RMT have greatly undermined themselves by this action."

The hefty six-footer Bob Crow has a reputation for picking his battles well and the RMT is one of the few unions with a growing membership. According to the latest TUC figures it has 75,906 members. But after the half-cock response to the latest 48-hour Tube walkout serious questions are being asked about his judgment.


The alternative travel arrangements

Aslef, the rival Tube union, said today: "It seems Bob Crow is now doing his best to annoy fellow trade unions." Officially Aslef describes the strike as "premature" but the private language is more colourful. A hint of RMT rebellion emerged in the voting figures. Of 10,000 eligible to vote, just 2,810 supported the strike call with 488 against. The rest took the easy way out and didn't bother -although they will, of course, accept any increased pay and working conditions improvements won by the union. Just before the strike started Mr Crow said: "We know that it will receive solid support from RMT members across the Tube network." No, it hasn't. It was a rare misjudgement by Mr Crow.



The last two Victoria line strikes, in support of sacked train driver Carl Campbell, have closed the line completely. It's a different picture now: Mr Crow quietly slipped in a third strike on the Victoria line today to run in conjunction with the main dispute. This strike was only announced to LU, as the union is legally required to do, and not to passengers. The Victoria line is an RMT stronghold but today trains ran along a major part of the route - Victoria to Seven Sisters - where Mr Crow was on early morning picket line duty.

Past network-wide strikes have seen a total shutdown. Compare that with today: during this morning's peak 120 trains ran out of a possible 522; by lunchtime the figure had increased to 140 out of a usual 420. London Underground stated: "We have had lots of drivers turning up." Did that include RMT members? "It must do by the number of people who have reported for duty," said LU. This encouraged even more staff to return to work today, the second half of the stoppage. Union observers ask whether Mr Crow has been bounced into a self-defeating dispute by his even more far-Left fellow officials. There seems to be no immediate threat to his leadership in the absence of a credible alternative. But his reputation as a union general that chooses his battle grounds wisely and normally delivers a victory has been badly damaged.