Sadiq Khan: London must invest to lure commuters after Covid
London is “desperate” for commuters to return and needs to keep investing to lure them back, its mayor, Sadiq Khan, has said as he reopened the Northern line via Bank station, a key connection into the City.
Khan said the reopening was another milestone on the road to recovery after Covid. The underground branch had been closed for 17 weeks to build a new tunnel, track and concourse to alleviate congestion in the station, a key interchange for tube lines and the Docklands Light Railway.
The commissioner for Transport for London, Andy Byford, said it had been completed “on time and on budget” – a critical point for TfL as it seeks to negotiate long-term capital funding for investment from the government.
The full £700m Bank upgrade project, encompassing six years of work on the station and including better connections, accessible lifts, and a new station entrance, will be completed later this year.
Khan said the reopening of “one of the most complicated stations in the world” was “another example of investment in public transport paying dividends, that will lead to an improved experience for commuters – we’re desperate to get people back to the office.
“This is crucial. If you’ve been working from home for the last two years, we’ve got to make the offer of returning to the office – the journey – enticing.”
TfL’s current emergency funding deal from central government, the latest £200m instalment after fare revenue dried up during Covid-19 lockdowns, will expire in six weeks, and the mayor hit out at ministers over the short-term “begging bowl” handouts to the capital.
Khan said: “It’s ridiculous. It’s no way to run public transport in a global city like London. Our ability to do long-term deals, to get value for money, is being
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