Controversial Tube boss Sir Peter Hendy quit yesterday to become top dog at Network Rail.
London Underground head Mike Brown will become interim Transport for London commissioner.
Sir Peter was London’s longest-serving transport boss since the Second World War, no mean feat for someone who started out as a transport graduate trainee 40 years ago.
During his tenure as TfL boss, Sir Peter has courted a lot of controversies, take a look at some here:
1. “Commuter train services into the capital are sh*t”
In an interview with Management Today, Sir Peter Hendy described commuter train services coming into the capital as sh*t.
He was forced to apologise later and admitted his comments were “unjustified and excessive”.
“I know everyone there is doing their best to offer a good service in the context of the franchise you have and the infrastructure you operate on,” he said.
“If there is a context, the interview was several weeks ago during the worst of the issues at London Bridge. But that’s not an excuse. Passion is no excuse for insult. Sorry.”
2. Buying fine wines with taxpayer cash
Over the years, Sir Peter Hendy’s exorbitant expenses have made headlines. In January this year, he came under fire for buying fine wines costing up to £45 a bottle on expenses. A freedom of information request in 2014 also found that Sir Peter had spent almost £7,000 of taxpayer cash on mobile phone bills between March and November that year.
3. Taxi trips
In 2013, another FOI request by MayorWatch found that Sir Peter, the Tube boss, listed 398 taxi journeys in his expense reports.
His cab journeys cost the taxpayer £5,316.52 in 2010, £5,666.77 in 2011 and £5,141.99 last year.
4. Prostitute claims
In 2013, Sir Peter Hendy was accused of having an affair with £140-an-hour call girl Rachael Grundy.
Grundy said at the time: “He seemed a lovely, considerate, polite man and he was lots of fun.
“He contacted me through my escort website and booked me for a three-hour session at my flat. We hit it off immediately.
“I stopped charging him by the hour and it developed into a proper relationship — I fell in love with him. He’d give me money but we never discussed it. It wasn’t about money.”
Sir Peter’s friends told the Standard at the time that “no public money” was involved.
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