Introduction of new trains on the Piccadilly Line delayed by a year

New trains commissioned for the Piccadilly Line; Siemens

Engineers need more time to work out how to run them on our elderly Tube system

The new trains commissioned for the Piccadilly Line will not be in service for up to a year later than planned.

Transport for London was supposed to have introduced the new fleet of 94 state-of-the-art vehicles this year, but their timeframe has now been put back to the second half of 2026.

Developed by Siemens in Germany, the trains will have walk-through carriages, air-conditioning – for the first time on a deep Tube train – wider all-double doorways to help customers get on and off more easily, and improved step-free access from/onto the platform, but TfL have run into difficulties making the necessary adjustments to run them on our elderly Tube system.

New Piccadilly Line train interior; Siemens

Meanwhile passengers are being told to avoid using the deeper Tube lines such as the Piccadilly Line at the moment because of the sweltering heat.

The Piccadilly Line is one of the longest and deepest lines on TfL’s network. It also has some of the oldest infrastructure.

TfL say:

‘Since the first train was delivered to London, TfL’s engineers have been able to assess the train on site. This has allowed them to identify and better understand the challenges for getting these new trains ready for integration testing and then for passenger service.

‘This process has identified it is more complex than expected. As a result, the start of a rigorous programme of testing the interactions with the infrastructure and systems has had to be rescheduled’.

New train; Siemens

Once testing starts in the summer, enough time is needed to fully test ‘the complex interactions’ between the new train and the existing infrastructure.

The existing Piccadilly line train maintenance depot at Cockfosters is being upgraded to provide the modern facilities and specialist equipment needed to service and maintain the new trains.

READ ALSO: New Piccadilly Line trains begin testing in Germany – Auguat 2023

Once the trains are in service they say they will ‘transform journeys for millions of customers’. They will offer 10% more capacity and are lighter than the existing design, which was introduced in the 1970s, which means they are more energy efficient and will provide a smoother ride for customers, consuming 20% less energy.

TfL will also be able to run trains with greater frequency once the new models are in service. They are expecting to be able to run 27 trains an hour rather than the current 24 at peak times.

But we will have to wait until late next year.

Read more stories on The Chiswick Calendar