Deep Tube Upgrade Programme
New times for the oldest underground in the world
Opened in 1863, the London Underground – also known as the ‘Tube’ – is the oldest and one of the busiest metro systems in the world. In November 2018, London Underground (LUL) commissioned Siemens Mobility to design and build 94 new Inspiro trains for the Piccadilly line. This is the first order in the plan to upgrade the four deep tube lines. Approximately 5 million passengers a day use the 11 metro lines – 700,000 of which use the Piccadilly line. With the Deep Tube Upgrade Programme, LUL aims to modernize the four Deep Tube lines – Piccadilly, Bakerloo, Central, and Waterloo & City lines – as well as to increase capacity by 2035. These lines make up a third of the London Underground network.“The introduction of new trains on the Piccadilly line will significantly improve the journeys of millions of our customers, providing more frequent and more reliable trains for decades to come. This order will mean the replacement of the 1970s Piccadilly line fleet, with delivery of the new trains starting in 2023, and will help address crowding on the line as London’s population continues to rise.”Nigel Holness, Managing Director of London Underground
Deep Tube trains for London
New fast trains with increased passenger comfort and capacity
With a top speed of 100 kph, the new trains will be instrumental in helping London Underground achieve its plans for a 27 trains per hour service on the busy Piccadilly line by the end of 2026. Thanks to their lightweight construction and innovative design, the trains will offer significant weight reduction while increasing energy efficiency and comfort.
Taking the Tube into the future
From 2023, the innovative new trains from the Inspiro family will be delivered to the Piccadilly line. Equipped with a range of special design features, this generation of Deep Tube trains will offer a new dimension of passenger comfort and travel experience:
- Heritage design – aligned with London Underground’s iconic global image
- Open, walk-through carriages – creating a light and airy look as well as allowing more space to move for passengers, enhancing passenger safety and passenger flow
- Maximised passenger capacity
- Large door openings – to enable easy access on and off the train and to improve passenger flow
- Full air conditioning
- Passenger information system – with multiple screens in all carriages to provide dynamic travel information
- A track friendly design – for reduced maintenance cost
- Redundant system design of vital components – for high train availability
- Extensive testing in the Siemens Test Centre in Wildenrath, Germany – ensures reliability from the first day of operation
- Future proofing – with trains designed for a 40 year life
Prepared for tomorrow's needs
Sustainable reliability for the long-term
Siemens will also be offering ...
... a range of digital services based on its Application Suite Railigent®.
