The Old London Underground Company

The Old London Underground Company Limited is a British startup company founded in 2009 by Ajit Chambers. The company designed a business model that makes value of London's disused Tube stations. It was shortlisted as a potential delivery partner to Transport for London for the first station under Mayfair on 10 July 2015 and in August 2015 started working with TFL's commercial development team to refine their proposal. The Legacy Project details changes to 26 disused stations on the London Underground that will allow them to operate as a public and private partnership and bring revenue into London's economy.
Chambers appeared on Dragons' Den in August 2015, asking for £2 million for 51% of the business to develop the Down Street disused station site in Mayfair as a tourist attraction, but he failed to secure any investment from The Dragons. The reason for the lack of investment from any Dragon was that It was pointed out to Chambers by Nick Jenkins that "you do not own the opportunity" (with which Chambers agreed), the opportunity being the lease on the Down Street property and that anyone else "more credible" with the same amount of money could come in and do a similar thing whilst owning 100% of their business.
Chambers submitted a bid to TfL in June 2015, however he was later ruled out of the bidding. Despite being invited back by TfL, Chambers says he has now decided not to take part, stating that he believes "TfL’s procurement process is seriously flawed." and that he doesn't "want to be part of a process which may be unlawful". Chambers has launched a legal battle against TfL for “theft of intellectual property” "including the company name".
On 1 April 2016, blogger Diamond Geezer published an April Fool, that stated UK supermarket Waitrose had partnered with TfL and would be opening a Little Waitrose store, only accessible by Tube train, in the closed Down Street station on "31 June 2016". Chambers, believing the April Fool to be fact, began posting on his Twitter feed a series of tweets threatening legal action, directed at the managing director of Waitrose Rob Collins: "London Disused Tube station legal case will involve Waitrose should I find proof of their involvement and use of my IP through TFL #waitrose". Chambers, having had the April Fool pointed out to him after a number of hours, still forced Waitrose to respond denying any plan to open a store in Down Street. Chambers subsequently apologised tweeting: "@waitrose Cough Cough. thats an apology."

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