Siemens wins £1.5bn Tube train deal – with more to come

 

London Underground has signed a contract worth £1.5bn with Siemens Mobility to design and build 94 ‘new generation’ Tube trains for the Piccadilly line.

Transport for London (TfL) said the existing 1970s fleet is ‘increasingly unreliable and expensive to maintain’ but will begin to be replaced from 2024 by new spacious 'Inspiro London' trains that will improve reliability and enable increased frequencies during peak times by the end of 2026.

”Local

William Wilson, managing director rolling stock of Siemens Mobility, said: 'These state-of-the-art trains, which are track-friendly and future-proofed for a long life, will transform the travel experience for the 700,000 daily Piccadilly line passengers.

'We've thought about travellers at every stage of the process and as a result the trains feature walk-through carriages with wider doors, improved access to make them easier to get on and off, and feature full air-conditioning - a real challenge in hot tunnels.'

TfL said 27 trains per hour (up from 24) at the busiest times will help address crowding on the line as London's population continues to rise. In addition, in-train information systems will help customers plan their onward journey more easily.

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).

TfL said 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.

It said creating a single train design will maximise cost savings through greater standardisation of train operations, staff training, equipment, spares and maintenance.

Siemens Mobility said the contract award is a significant step to progress its plans to build a new factory in Goole, East Yorkshire, to manufacture and commission trains and that the two companies will work together to maximise the number of Piccadilly line trains being built there.

 

Also see

Register now for full access


Register just once to get unrestricted, real-time coverage of the issues and challenges facing UK transport and highways engineers.

Full website content includes the latest news, exclusive commentary from leading industry figures and detailed topical analysis of the highways, transportation, environment and place-shaping sectors. Use the link below to register your details for full, free access.

Already a registered? Login

 
comments powered by Disqus