Bombardier wins contract to supply new propulsion tech to London Underground
Bombardier's retraction project is part of LU's larger Central Line Improvement Program, which will bring a number of passenger-focussed improvements and is expected to significantly reduce customer-affecting failures on the Central Line fleet.
A London Underground Central line train to be powered by new Bombardier Transportation propulsion technology. Photo courtesy of Bombardier Transportation.
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A London Underground Central line train to be powered by new Bombardier Transportation propulsion technology. Photo courtesy of Bombardier Transportation.
Bombardier Transportation was awarded a contract by London Underground (LU) to supply new motors and traction control equipment for its fleet of Central Line trains. This contract, which will run until 2024, is valued by Bombardier Transportation at approximately $143.7 million, with Bombardier also providing ongoing maintenance support.
Bombardier's retraction project is part of LU's larger Central Line Improvement Program (CLIP). The CLIP will bring a number of passenger-focused improvements and is expected to significantly reduce customer-affecting failures on the Central Line fleet.
For the program, Bombardier will replace the direct current (DC) traction motors on Central Line trains with the latest MITRAC alternating current (AC) traction systems and MITRAC traction control equipment. The Central Line '92 Tube Stock are the last LU trains to use DC traction motors, and MITRAC will bring significant benefits by reducing energy consumption while improving fleet reliability and performance.
In total, Bombardier will supply new motors and traction control equipment for 85 eight-car Central Line trains (680 cars in total). The project will be led from Bombardier's Västeras site in Sweden, also leveraging the capabilities of other sites in the Bombardier manufacturing network.
The installation of the first train, plus associated vehicle integration works and testing will be undertaken at Bombardier's Derby site in the United Kingdom.
Between 2009 and 2018, Bombardier has delivered or has orders for more than 2,800 rail vehicles for Transport for London (LU's parent company), helping to transform the travel experience for millions of London commuters. The Bombardier Movia trains on LU's Victoria Line are recording 100,000-plus miles between service-affecting failures, while its Movia "S7" trains on the sub-surface lines have reached a peak of 200,000 miles between failures.
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