The early morning Tube riding public were informed today of 'a new initiative' by London Underground management when dozens of Tube trains leaving from overnight depots across London were redecorated with LU style 'Business Class' and 'Cattle Class' posters segregating the carriages. To explain the new service thousands of 'official' leaflets were distributed to passengers. The leaflets announced a 'new quality service for valued customers' under the proposed Public Private Partnership deal - Business Class carriages with carpets, refreshment attendants and club-style seats plus, for full convenience, separation from the Cattle Class carriages. Which, to subsidise the new service, will be stripped of their seats to cut costs and enable easier hosing down. This, the leaflet went on to say, will help further discourage ' the unwashed' from 'talking to each other', which could lead to them 'demanding an unprofitably safe service' .

London Underground Ltd later issued a press release denying this was a taste of things to come, they claimed the leaflets and posters were "a spoof" abusing their
"world famous roundel", and blamed "anti-PPP groups" for the initiative. So far no-one has claimed responsibilty, though tucked away at the bottom of the 'Business Class' leaflet was a small reference to a group calling itself the "underground wing" of well-known trouble-making direct action group Reclaim the Streets. The groups' normally well-staffed press office was today mysteriously quiet.

The full text of the 'London Underground Business Class' leaflet is available on the www.new-tube.co.uk website....


London Underground Ltd press release from www.thetube.co.uk

'Business Class' Tube spoof

Leaflets claiming that London Underground is planning a 'Business Class' service are NOT true.

The flyers come from opponents of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) - the 'pounds in the ground' investment that will create a better Tube service for ALL our three million daily passengers.

These anti-PPP groups are passing themselves off as LU (and in the process abusing our world-famous roundel) instead of engaging in an open and honest debate about the Underground's future.

London Underground is always willing to take part in that debate but in the meantime, we'll just concentrate on running the railway rather than running spoof publicity campaigns.