Some commuters on London Underground are facing a wait of nearly 30 years for new trains under the government's controversial £16 billion plan to part-privatise the tube.

TfL lawyers who have studied the contracts drawn up with commercial contractors argue that under the deal, commuters would not benefit from refurbished or new rolling stock until 2013 on the Metropolitan and Hammersmith and City lines, 2014 on the Piccadilly, 2016 on the Central, 2017 on the Northern, 2020 on the Bakerloo and 2030 on the Victoria.

Forum Response: Transport for London

A spokesperson for Transport for London told ePolitix.com: "Between what was previously promised and what is in the contracts now, an astonishing 318 years have been added to the much-reduced station modernisation programme."