Siemens reveals designs for ‘Inspiro’ Deep Tube trains
NINETY-FOUR ‘desperately needed’ air-conditioned Deep Tube trains built by Siemens will enter traffic on the Piccadilly Line from 2025, with half the fleet built at the company’s new train factory in Goole.
The new vehicles form part of London Underground’s Deep Tube Upgrade Programme but are currently the only part of what is expected to be a 250-strong train order to be confirmed.
They will be the first trains of their type to be introduced anywhere in the world, replacing the current fleet that dates from 1974-77.
At the virtual launch of the design for the ‘Inspiro’ trains on March 4, London
Mayor Sadiq Khan said: “The continued modernisation of the Tube, which has seen a transformation over the last two decades, is a key part of my Transport Strategy to make London a greener, more affordable, more accessible place.
“But we need investment to continue this work. I will keep lobbying the Government to deliver a long-term, viable funding model for TfL [Transport for London], which will enable us to carry out more upgrades to the network’s ageing infrastructure, boost our economy, and deliver a green recovery for London and the wider country.”
Planned funding for the signalling upgrade of the routes that are due to receive the new trains (Bakerloo, Central, Piccadilly and Waterloo & City Lines) has yet to be approved.
TfL wants £1.6 billion per year in capital funding between 2023 and 2030 to support a new funding model that is less reliant on fares revenue. This would help fund the other planned train fleets and signalling upgrades.
LU Managing Director Andy Lord said: “The introduction of new, desperately-needed modern and reliable trains on the Piccadilly Line, and the capacity they will provide, will be a boost for the capital.
“Sustained long-term investment would enable us to introduce more modern trains over time to replace other ageing fleets alongside new signalling, improving the journeys of millions more customers and reducing the costs of running the Tube.”
Lord added: “Subject to funding, the same trains will be built for the rest of the Deep Tube.”
The new Siemens trains, which will be built in Vienna and Goole, will be nine-car sets with a 100kph (62mph) maximum speed.
They will have space for 1,076 passengers including 268 seats, offering 10% more capacity than the 1973-Stock they will replace. They will feature real-time information (a first on LU trains), and TfL plans to increase peakhour service frequency from 24 to 27 trains per hour from mid-2027 (a train every 135 seconds).
The trains will have articulated bogies, which Siemens claims makes them lighter than existing stock and offering a smoother ride.
They will have regenerative braking and will be fitted with LED lighting.
Siemens also claims the trains are designed with sustainability in mind and that the trains are 95% recoverable when the time comes for their disposal. Overall, the trains are expected to use 20% less energy than existing fleets.
Lord said infrastructure work is required before the Siemens fleet enters traffic, including platform alterations as the trains are longer than those they will be replacing, as well as a power upgrade.
They will be maintained at Northfields depot, which will require modifications to its buildings and track layout to accommodate the new trains.