New ‘state-of-the-art’ Piccadilly line trains announced by TfL have been pushed back until 2026, as engineers tackle complex test-runs.
Introduced as TfL’s most complex train yet, the novel trains will provide 10 per cent more space, on-board CCTV and approximately 1,000 skilled jobs in Goole in Yorkshire.
It will be the first Deep Tube train to feature air conditioning, achieved through engineering techniques to allow the cooling system to be placed underneath the carriages.
TfL Chief Capital Officer Stuart Harvey said: “We’re proud and excited that these innovative new trains on the Piccadilly line will have a transformative effect for London.
“This hugely complex project will boost capacity and make journeys more accessible and more comfortable for millions of people.”
The ambitious structural changes will also provide walk-through carriages and wider double doorways for easier boarding, while consuming 20 per cent less energy.
All successful design alterations will be incorporated into all future trains, establishing a new standard for TfL tube lines.
However, TfL engineers face the challenge of introducing the novel train into a railway which is more than one hundred years old, and given its complexity, integration testing has been delayed until summer.
Transport company Siemens Mobility is cooperating with TfL to provide the new series of Piccadilly line trains.
Joint CEO of Siemens Mobility, Sambit Banerjee, said: “We’re sorry we can’t have our innovative trains running for passengers even sooner but, once they’re in service, the technology on these new trains will bring smoother, greener and more comfortable journeys for Londoners for the next 30 or more years.”
Passengers will be able to board the pioneering trains in the latter half of 2026, when they are expected to begin operating.
Feature image credit: Siemens and TfL Press Office.
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