TfL under‑investment leaves commuters losing 830,000 hours in April‑May 2026

Transport for London has been told that a renewals backlog of roughly £6.5 billion is driving a sharp rise in delays, with commuters in Barnet and across the capital losing an estimated 830,000 hours in the two‑month period of April to May 2026. The figure comes from data supplied to the London Assembly Budget and Performance Committee and was highlighted in a Barnet Post article on 25 October 2026.

Backlog and investment gap

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Barnet Post reported that half of the £6.5 billion backlog relates to track work. TfL has said that keeping assets in a steady condition would require between £1.1 billion and £1.2 billion of renewals each year. Over the five years to the 2025‑26 financial year, TfL’s average spend was only £700 million, according to the same source. The shortfall has allowed the backlog to grow, with the Assembly noting more than 300 asset‑related incidents in the last four years.

Impact on commuters

The Assembly data show that commuters lost 414,000 hours per week to delays caused by an ageing fleet in the previous year. The April‑May 2026 figures suggest the total loss rose to 830,000 hours, a level that directly affects daily journeys for residents of High Barnet, East Barnet and other north‑London districts. TfL’s spokesperson said the agency is prioritising the most critical assets, but the current investment level remains below what is needed to stabilise the backlog.

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“Deteriorating assets are making TfL services less reliable every year, leaving Londoners and visitors trying to get around the capital to suffer ever more stressful and uncertain journeys.”

Neil Garratt, Chair of the London Assembly Budget and Performance Committee

TfL’s latest figures show an average renewals spend of £860 million per year, an increase on pre‑pandemic levels, according to a TfL spokesperson. The spokesperson added that safety remains the top priority and that the agency continues to work with the Government to secure long‑term funding. The Mayor of London has been asked by Chair Garratt to publish a clear strategy for preventing the backlog from expanding further.

Patrick Doig, TfL’s chief financial officer, told Assembly members that the lack of a national funding model for bridges and tunnels hampers the ability to address related delays. The government has indicated that TfL will not be expected to fund all bridge and tunnel work from operating income alone. The next formal step is a review of the 20‑year capital investment programme, which includes £51 billion for renewals, to determine how much of that sum can be reliably funded.