Evidently wilting under the steely glare of thousands of thwarted tube travellers, he quickly teflon'd the blame onto Transport for London, citing lack of access, awkward station supervisors and refusal to close parts of the line for work.
Boris Johnson blames part-privatisation for the delays, telling the House of Commons Transport Committee that the public-private partnership (PPP) wasn't in anyone's best interests, adding somewhat ominously that its handling of the Jubilee Line upgrade is key to the reputation of Tube Lines. This doesn't seem to have deterred National Express, however, who have approached Mr Finch about a job, though they seem to be having their own problems after the government forcibly re-nationalised the east coast franchise.
The ever-colourfully lingual mayor described conversations with Tube Lines as 'vivid', though after his stroppogram to them earlier in the week where only a disappointing 'unacceptable' was mentioned, we think some of his more interesting adjectives must have been saved for later.
Meanwhile, no matter how sorry Tube Lines are, Jubilee Line passengers will still be extending their acquaintance with replacement bus services for a while yet.
