East London office gets its own private tube train

Published on 11th June 2015 by ianVisits in Architecture, Transport News

An office block with an entrance next to Aldgate East tube station has installed its own private tube train — as a waiting room.

The Relay Building is a newish block nearing completion at the moment, and sits on top of one of Aldgate East tube station entrances. They are currently fitting a huge sliding glass door which is due to be installed in the next couple of weeks.

But behind that glass wall will sit an old sub-surface tube train in the main entrance foyer. It’s their new waiting room.

relay-building

The train is moderately significant as well, as it is (a replica of) unit number 5721, which saw service on the special farewell tour run by London Underground as the old C-Stock trains were phased out.

Most of the old trains were scrapped, but this one ended up in retirement sitting next to the very station it would have passed through every day.

relay-building3

The hoardings around the office entrance block getting a decent photo at the moment, but the train carriage is in there, and can just about be seen through the barrier.

relay-building2

Edited — turns out someone has renumbered the train, so the one in the foyer isn’t all that it seems. Which is a bit naughty.

Tagged with Aldgate, Aldgate East, London Underground

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6 Comments on “East London office gets its own private tube train”

  2. Isn’t it just the top of the carriage, sliced off from the bogeys and other sub-carriage infrastructure?

    That kind of takes the shine off a bit…

  3. The train pictured isn’t actually the 5721 that ran on the farewell c stock trip. The actual 5721 is in the LT Museum’s collection at Acton Depot. We believe this train is actually a renumbered unit, although we don’t know which train this was originally.

  5. I’m glad they didn’t really use a piece of tube history as a waiting room, although it would have been cool if it was actually in a station as a waiting room!