London Underground Ltd. (a subsidiary of Transport for London) has signed a contract with Siemens Mobility Ltd. to design and build 94 new-generation Tube trains to replace the existing 1970s fleet.
The current trains are old, increasingly unreliable and expensive to maintain, according to officials. From 2023, new spacious Inspiro London trains will be delivered for testing on the Piccadilly line, with current estimates indicating the first of these trains will be serving customers in 2024. These will improve reliability and enable increased frequencies during peak times by the end of 2026 (up from 24 to 27 trains-per-hour). This service — a train every 135 seconds at the busiest times — will help to address crowding on the line as London's population continues to rise.
The state-of-the-art Tube trains will significantly improve the experience of millions of customers, with wider doors and longer, walk-through, fully air-conditioned carriages. In addition, in-train information systems will help all 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 $1.9B). 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.
