London Underground has formally signed a contract with Siemens Mobility to buy 94 new tube trains which will be used on the Piccadilly line.

The trains will replace the current fleet of aging trains which date back to the 1970s and are proving increasingly problematic to keep running. A programme of modest upgrades to the old trains is underway at the moment to keep them running until the new trains start to arrive in passenger service from 2024.

The fleet of new trains will also enable increased frequencies during peak times by the end of 2026 (up from 24 to 27 trains-per-hour).

The delivery date for the new trains has slipped though, as the first trains were expected in 2022.

The newly designed tube trains will come with wider doors and longer, walk-through, fully air-conditioned carriages. The new design also reduces the weight of the trains by 30 tonnes and energy consumption by 17 percent, thus generating less heat to be dispersed in the tunnels. The trains would have a lower floor and 11 per cent higher passenger capacity than the current tube trains.

In addition, in-train information systems, as seen on Thameslink and the TfL Rail trains will help all customers plan their onward journey.

The initial order is for 94 trains and an associated Fleet Services Agreement covering the supply of spares and whole life technical support (a value of approximately £1.5bn). This has been awarded with the expectation that Siemens Mobility will build trains for all four Deep Tube lines – the Piccadilly, Bakerloo, Central and Waterloo & City.

Creating a single train design will allow TfL to maximise cost savings through greater standardisation of train operations, staff training, equipment, spares and maintenance.

The contract was provisionally awarded to Siemens earlier this year, but a legal challenge from the Bombardier / Hitachi joint venture had threatened to scupper the deal.

As Siemens Mobility announced earlier this year, the contract award is a significant step to progress plans to build a new factory in Goole, East Yorkshire, to manufacture and commission trains.

The New Tube for London programme will eventually see approximately:

  • 100 trains for the Piccadilly line
  • 100 trains for the Central line
  • 40 trains for the Bakerloo line
  • 10 trains for the Waterloo & City line

The Piccadilly line currently serves 210 million customers a year and demand is expected to grow 20% by 2020. The Piccadilly line has therefore been prioritised as the first of the four lines to benefit from the new trains and signalling system.

When the new trains arrive, the Piccadilly line will also be taking over the Ealing Broadway service from the District line. The District line trains can then be used to increase capacity by 25% on the busier Richmond and Wimbledon branches of the District line.

NEWSLETTER

Be the first to know what's on in London, and the latest news published on ianVisits.

You can unsubscribe at any time from my weekly emails.

Tagged with: , ,
SUPPORT THIS WEBSITE

This website has been running now for over a decade, and while advertising revenue contributes to funding the website, it doesn't cover the costs. That is why I have set up a facility with DonorBox where you can contribute to the costs of the website and time invested in writing and research for the news articles.

It's very similar to the way The Guardian and many smaller websites are now seeking to generate an income in the face of rising costs and declining advertising.

Whether it's a one-off donation or a regular giver, every additional support goes a long way to covering the running costs of this website, and keeping you regularly topped up doses of Londony news and facts.

If you like what you read on here, then please support the website here.

Thank you

20 comments
  1. Al says:

    Is it known if the new tube train stock is also expected to eventually be rolled out for the Victoria, Northern and Jubilee lines to further standardisation of the London Underground?

    Would be surprised should an adapted version of this new tube train eventually replace the current S stock used on the District, Circle, H&C and Metropolitan lines. Yet how far are the London Underground willing to go with their standardisation agenda?

    • Liam says:

      I think you’re over-interpreting what they mean by “standardisation”.

      None of that’s going to happen…

    • Al says:

      Fair enough, just looking at the possibilities and am surprised deep-tube standardisation was not already considered in the past.

    • Maurice Reed says:

      The Victoria line fleet was replaced just recently. With the new signalling an intensive service is now in place.

    • Londonlad says:

      Are the Jubilee and Northern line trains not mid life atm? I know they are different stock types but roughly the same age? You would imagine these two lines would have eventually the same trains when replacement comes if this is possible!

      The Victoria line and the S stock on the other lines is pretty new, would be a big waste of money and madness surely to scrap them even in 10 years time. Also the S stock is designed for far bigger tunnels right? why introduce a much smaller and cramped train on the lines when it isn’t necessary.

  2. JP says:

    Presumably some of the weight saving will come from all but non-existant cushioning on the seats (see Siemens Thameslink trains.)
    If they argue that they build to customer spec and existing rules, then please can we hurry up and sort things out such that we can make our own rules and have a bit of comfort like those that the smarties train will replace? I know it’s fire regs but this is a lazy solution.
    Not at all impressed with the wobble and bounce of the Thameslink trains either, but we’re talking tubes here.

    • Sykobee says:

      I see someone missed John Bull’s bedbugs in train seats Twitter thread…

    • Melvyn says:

      Be grateful given I’ve read that some foreign metros have wooden benches or even virtually no seats !

      Given how the walk through S Stock trains on lines like the District have encouraged walk through beggars including east European bands then tube passengers best make the most of their separate carriages!

  3. Benjamin says:

    10 trains for the W and C. Rather excessive

  4. Andrew Gwilt says:

    That’s good news for Piccadilly Line to get the new tube stocks. What about the 3 other lines to also get new tube stocks such as Bakerloo Line, Central Line and Waterloo & City Line.

  5. Chris Rogers says:

    Wider doors and increased capacity of course means fewer seats. By 2060 we’ll all be standing…

  6. Maurice Reed says:

    Good news, especially for the Pic and Bakerloo both of which are running aged stock. I wonder if the order for the Bakerloo is taking into account extra trains for the proposed extension?

  7. David Kirwin says:

    A long way off then really. I wonder if they will have the farce that is the 4LM done by then?

  8. Melvyn says:

    Worth remembering that former Mayor Ken Livingstone planned to replace Piccadilly Line trains as after Victoria Line trains but along came Boris Johnson and a decade has been wasted in this order !

    One does wonder how much longer the Bakerloo Line trains can keep soldiering on given they are older than Piccadilly Line trains.

    The Central Line and Waterloo and City Line trains are actually not very old its just they have not worked that well since they were introduced.

  9. JP says:

    Cheers Sykobee and Melvyn; points taken but then I’d have armchairs and cups of tea if I had my way.
    Yes the poor old Noo-Yoikers have to put up with primary school style plastic seats and Hamburgers have not much better wipe-clean leatherette benches. Not much purchase for bugs to grab onto though!
    Arguably the greater travesty is not itchy bums, but the tacit acceptance/capitulation by TfL that nobody but Siemens is allowed to build our tubes for the next couple of decades. Goole factory sweetener aside, who thought this apparent monopoly a good idea? I’d like to know how many billions the lawyers persuaded the client will gush from this unique and unbelievable golden handcuff caper, too.

  10. EME Roberts says:

    Where is the wheelchair spaces?

  11. Peter says:

    I think you’ve used an old photo there. They’ve drawn the drivers cab door back on now.

    Remember when LU said air con wasn’t and even ran a competition for a solution? Was that all just spin?

Home >> News >> Transport News