The announcement comes as Tube Lines inches closer to achieving the target of 96 station upgrades on the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines by June 2010.  A total of 83 station upgrades have already been completed and the company is currently working to upgrade a further 12.  The last remaining station to be upgraded is Stratford with work scheduled to start in a month’s time.

Keith Sibley, Tube Lines Delivery Manager for Stations, said:

“Over £500 million is being invested in our station upgrade programme and the benefits to passengers are significant.  The new information systems provide more accurate and up-to-date travel information, there is more CCTV coverage around the station to boost passenger security and redecoration has greatly improved the overall environment.

“What’s more, we are delivering these improvements in an efficient way to ensure passengers get good value for money.  Since we started this programme of work back in 2003 we have cut the cost of station improvements by half and cut the time it takes to complete the work by a third.  This means passengers, and residents who live close to the stations we upgrade, suffer minimal inconvenience and benefit from our efforts sooner than planned."

The scope of a station upgrade varies depending on how recently a station has been refurbished and what the general condition of the station facilities are.  West Ham and Westminster stations are modern stations with state-of-the-art facilities and so the focus of the improvement work will be on boosting the existing passenger information systems and enhancing the overall ambience of the stations.

New passenger help points will be installed at some locations in the stations to assist people in finding out travel information.  Tactile flooring will be installed to enhance the safety of all passengers as they travel through the stations and Westminster station in particular will also benefit from enhanced communications systems and new visual information displays on platforms and ticket hall areas.

To date, Tube Lines has delivered every single station upgrade on or ahead of schedule, including some of the network’s busiest and largest stations like Green Park, Leicester Square, Euston and Waterloo.  Millions of passengers are now benefiting from:

• Better security with 300% more CCTV coverage at its stations

• More passenger assistance with 150% more public announcement systems and double the number of public help points;

• Help with travel from new passenger information display systems from which passengers now receive accurate and timely information.