TfL makes offer for Metronet as Lezala departs

Transport for London has made an offer for Metronet, the Tube maintenance firm currently in administration.

The PPP administrator Ernst & Young said it will review the offer for Metronet and respond during the next week.

Ernst & Young also announced the departure of five senior Metronet managers at the end of the month including chief executive Andrew Lezala, who is being replaced by Andie Harper.

The other four leaving are chief financial officer Philip Pacey; commercial senior vice president Ken Owen; change Management senior vice president David Clarke; and communications senior vice president Paul Emberley.

Andie Harper previously ran the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines while at London Underground between 1999 and 2002.

Recently Harper acted as project director for the Edinburgh Tram Project and program director for Washington Group International, a large US construction company.

Alan Bloom, PPP administrator at Ernst & Young, said: “The PPP Administrators are looking forward to working with Andie on transitioning the businesses from administration through to exit and beyond.”

Metronet collapsed in July after it was denied access to £550m of emergency funding by the PPP arbiter. It was granted just £120m and said it could not uphold its contractual obligations.

Tube Lines and London Underground were previously touted as potential bidders.