Abstract :
The driving party-lines behind both of London??s Mayoral electoral candidates this year have included a focus on improving London??s ageing underground system. Olympic fever has seen many banks and trading floors encourage their workforces to operate from home during the summer months, fearing congested scenes of commuter carnage. Ambitious changes to the Tube are, of course, far too late for this summer??s Games, but the event has done a great deal to highlight the importance of upgrading existing systems to enable it to cope better with booming urban populations.