Tube drivers plan 'go slow' protest to curb excess noise on London Underground

Tube drivers are acceptable to trim bid speeds successful protestation astatine the levels of sound they are being forced to endure connected the Victoria line.

The “action abbreviated of a strike” follows an overwhelming ballot among RMT members successful favour of an authoritative protestation astir sound levels connected the line, which has the astir predominant and immoderate of the fastest trains connected the London Underground.

Fellow national Aslef, which represents astir 2,000 Tube drivers, has akin concerns that widen to 3 of the different “deep level” lines – the Central, Northern and Jubilee.

It says that London Underground, aft years of denials, has admitted that sound levels connected the Victoria enactment “exceed ineligible limits”.

Aslef wellness and information reps are gathering Tube absorption successful a bid to place solutions to the longstanding problem.

Unless changes are made to rapidly code the issue, Aslef members connected the Victoria, Central, Northern and Jubilee “will beryllium taking action”.

This is apt to impact balloting drivers connected whether to spell connected onslaught oregon instrumentality enactment abbreviated of a strike.

RMT sources said that the enactment abbreviated of a onslaught would impact driving Victoria enactment trains beneath 50mph successful a bid to trim the sound that is caused by bid wheels screeching against the rails oregon rumbling implicit sets of points.

The Victoria enactment is mostly automated and the trains “drive themselves” betwixt stations, though drivers tin instrumentality power if required successful an emergency.

However, drivers person afloat power of the bid erstwhile it is being driven successful and retired of the depot.

Even a tiny simplification successful the velocity of 1 bid could origin knock-on impacts on the enactment and marque it intolerable for the Victoria enactment to execute the highest hr frequence of 36 trains an hour.

Concerns grew erstwhile the Night Tube - which operates done the nighttime astatine weekends - launched successful 2016.

Problematic sections see the Central enactment betwixt Stratford and Leyton, overmuch of which is tunnelled.

In addition, 101 backed enactment abbreviated of a strike, with 1 saying no.

According to Aslef, Transport for London has been required since past period to connection each Victoria drivers “mandatory proceeding protection” erstwhile they clock-on.

Last period Finn Brennan, Aslef’s territory organiser, said Underground managers were “applying a band-aid attack to the symptoms”.

“This is simply a occupation that would person been avoided if absorption had acted earlier. But they take to hide their heads successful the soil and disregard the complaints of drivers and national reps.

“Everyone has the close to a harmless moving situation and to enactment to support their ain wellness and safety. Aslef volition ever enactment members who instrumentality due steps to enactment harmless astatine work.”

TfL has been approached for comment.