TfL appoints Tube Lines chief executive

Transport for London has appointed as chief executive of Tube Lines the man who led the integration of Metronet with TfL.

TfL said Andie Harper will take up the post of chief executive designate with immediate effect, although he will become chief executive officially only when the takeover of Tube Lines by TfL completes at the end of the month.

In the meantime he will work alongside current Tube Lines chief executive Andrew Cleaves. Harper will come from Aecom, where he is currently European director of programme management.

In a statement TfL said Harper would lead the process of reassessing the tube upgrade programme. It said the priority of the merged organisation would be to complete the upgrade of the Jubilee line. However the rest of the programme of work will be reviewed with “the aim of delivering the line upgrades to a timetable that suits London and minimises disruption to customers and businesses, with the best possible value for money.”

TfL’s acquisition of Tube Lines effectively means it is no longer bound by the scope of upgrade work defined in the original agreement for the Tube PPP.

Mike Brown, managing director of London Underground said Harper was an “excellent” appointment. He said: “He understands London’s transport system through his time at London Underground and through leading Metronet’s smooth and efficient transition from administration to TfL. He is uniquely well placed to lead the organisation through this period of change, which will deliver huge improvements for Londoners.”