A HERO tube driver stopped a train from ploughing into fallen rubble on Saturday — after safety warnings from track workers were allegedly ignored by transport bosses.

Last night, London Mayor Boris Johnson’s stubborn administration refused to derail plans for driverless trains despite serious safety concerns.

Large chunks of masonry crumbled onto the track bed in a tunnel on the Central Line, shocking pictures have revealed. After the driver raised the alarm, the line was shut down while an expert assessed the damage.

But Tube union RMT said last night that it had repeatedly warned managers of damage to the tunnel concerned.

“Our reps have been warning for months of water ingress into that section of tunnel that came down at Mile End,” said RMT acting general secretary Mick Cash. “London Underground ignored us.”

And he warned that the mayor’s aggressive cuts were compromising the safety of passengers and staff.

“This is entirely linked to the maintenance cuts across London Underground.

“A driverless train, as proposed by Boris Johnson, would have ploughed straight into it with horrific consequences.

“We demand a reversal of maintenance cuts and a full investigation into the dangerous impact of the cuts programme in light of the partial collapse at Mile End.”

Green Party London Assembly member Jenny Jones told the Morning Star: “Incidents like this show it’s time for the mayor to rethink his plans for driverless trains.

“In a rush to drive down costs, he has failed to understand that stripping out drivers poses a danger to passengers.

“Wanting a more efficient railway is one thing, but I want a Tube network that’s safe to travel on. That’s what I pay my taxes for.”

But Tube bosses insisted the way forward was driverless trains — which Mr Jonson has lauded as a means to smash union power.

London Underground strategy and service development director Gareth Powell said: “In the right context modern technology can mean a system that is more reliable, more flexible, higher frequency and higher capacity — a better service for customers.

“We’re committed to exploring this technology during the next phase of the modernisation of our train fleet and signalling.”