New Piccadilly line trains will enter service on the London Underground next year.
The introduction of the first of a fleet of 94 walk-through, air-conditioned trains next year was confirmed this morning (October 3) by Andy Lord, London’s Transport Commissioner.
The Evening Standard has reported that all of the trains will be in service by 2028, a year later than originally planned.
It comes as Transport Secretary Louise Haigh officially opened a new factory in Goole for Siemens, the rail firm that is building the new fleet.
The new trains are expected to increase capacity on the Piccadilly line at peak time by almost a quarter, with one service expected every two minutes and 15 seconds.
It is hoped that once funding is secured, Siemens will also build the new trains planned for the Bakerloo line.
This fleet is more than 50 years old, making it the oldest operating in daily passenger service anywhere in the UK.
The first of the new Piccadilly line trains is expected to be delivered to TfL for testing before the end of this year.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the Goole facility is “a fantastic example” of how investment in London “benefits the whole country”.
He said: “This factory, where the new state-of-the-art Piccadilly line trains will be built, will create up to 900 direct jobs and support another 1,700 in the supply chain, delivering great benefits to the wider UK economy, showing that where London succeeds, the whole country succeeds and vice versa.”
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