First-look photographs unveiled of the brand-new Piccadilly line Tube train, which features walk-through carriages and air conditioning… and is due to enter service in 2025
- It is the first of 94 new Siemens Mobility trains destined for the Piccadilly line
- Photos show the train at the Siemens Mobility factory in Vienna
- A further image shows the train arriving in Germany en-route to a test centre
- READ MORE: A driver’s-eye view of one of the world’s greatest railway journeys
First-look photographs have been unveiled of the brand-new Piccadilly line Tube train, showing the first nine-carriage set to come off the production line.
It is the first of 94 new Siemens Mobility trains destined for the London Underground and was built at a factory in Vienna before being moved to Siemens’ Test and Validation Centre in Wegberg-Wildenrath, Germany.
Photographs show the train leaving the factory and arriving at the test centre.
The Piccadilly line trains are based on Siemens Mobility’s Inspiro family of metro trains and, according to the firm, will ‘offer passengers an improved customer experience with walk-through, air-conditioned carriages and improved accessibility’.
The 62mph (100kph) trains will also feature step-free access, enhanced digital information screens and have room for 1,076 passengers per train, an increase in capacity of around 10 per cent compared to the current Piccadilly line trains.
First-look photographs have been unveiled of the brand-new Piccadilly line Tube train. It’s pictured here at the Siemens Mobility factory in Vienna
Siemens Mobility claims that the new trains will offer a smoother ride as they will be ‘significantly lighter’, which also means they will be more energy efficient.
Around half of the new trains will be assembled at Siemens Mobility’s new site in Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire.
The site is currently in the final stages of fit-out, Siemens Mobility said in a statement, with recruitment ‘well underway’ ahead of production starting at the UK-based site in early 2024.
Siemens Mobility added: ‘Up to £200million is being invested in developing the train manufacturing facility, which will create up to 700 skilled jobs, as well as up to 1,700 in the supply chain and 250 during construction.’
The existing Piccadilly line fleet dates from the 1970s, with the new trains due to begin replacing it in 2025.
The ‘state-of-the-art’ trains will be put through ‘rigorous tests including acceleration and braking functionality, noise and vibration trials’ at the test centre, Siemens Mobility said.
This is the first of 94 new Siemens Mobility trains destined for the London Underground’s Piccadilly line
The brand-new train is pictured here arriving in Germany en-route to the Siemens test centre
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: ‘Ensuring London’s transport network keeps up with the demands of our great city means continually improving and updating our infrastructure.
‘These new trains will transform travel on the Piccadilly line, making them more comfortable for passengers and improving people’s daily journeys. Improvements like this also have a vital role to play in making our network more energy efficient and can only happen with continued government investment. I will continue to work with TfL and the Government to ensure we get the long-term investment our network needs and help build a better, more prosperous city for all Londoners.’
Sambit Banerjee, Managing Director for Rolling Stock and Customer Services for Siemens Mobility UKI, said: ‘The first new Piccadilly line train is now at our world-class testing facility in Germany where it will undergo a period of extensive testing. This is the first stage of testing before London Underground’s newest train reaches the UK for further testing and integration in late 2024. I am incredibly proud to see this first train continue its journey towards enhancing passenger experience and transforming rail travel on the Piccadilly line.’
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