A HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED fleet of air-conditioned London Underground trains have been delayed by another year.
The new £3 billion tube trains were expected to be in use by the end of the year.
The Piccadilly line is set to see 94 new trains launched by the end of next year (stock image)[/caption]
The launch of the “game-changing” fleet on the Piccadilly line will now be delayed by up to a year, according to The Standard.
This massive blow to London commuters comes after the fleet was revealed to be the first “deep level” Tube trains to be air conditioned.
The eagerly-awaited fleet, which consists of 94 trains, will offer 10% more capacity as well as wider doors for quicker boarding, walk through carriages, and CCTV.
They will replace an “age expired” fleet of older Piccadilly line trains which dates to 1973.
The update will enable peak-hour frequencies to be increased from 24 to 27 trains an hour, and will eventually see 36 trains running each hour, equivalent to the Victoria line.
Transport for London (TFL) originally announced the first new Piccadilly line train would enter passenger service by the end of 2025.
However, TfL publicly confirm on Friday, June 20 that the new trains are now not expected until the “second half of 2026”.
This delay has been caused by unexpected difficulties in introducing the first new train to challenging “real life” conditions on London Underground infrastructure.
The new trains are understood to have performed well on the test track.
While first batch of trains are being built by Siemens in Vienna, Austria, the bulk of the order will be assembled at Siemens’ new factory in Goole, east Yorkshire.
A source told The Standard that the electrical equipment underneath the new trains was “not in the right alignment”.
TfL confirmed on Friday that “the start of a rigorous programme of testing the interactions with the infrastructure and systems is delayed until the summer”.
Part or full closures of the Piccadilly line will continue over the weekends to prepare the stations for the new nine-carriage trains.
Stuart Harvey, TfL’s chief capital officer, who is in charge of the introduction of the new trains, spoke on the latest update.
“It will obviously be disappointing for customers that they will have to wait a bit longer for the new trains, and I regret that,” he said.
Three scenic train journeys you can take in the UK
Cornish Coast – One trip that rail enthusiasts seem to love is along a stretch of the Cornish coast and takes just 10 minutes to complete.
The route from St Erth to St Ives only stops at Carbis Bay en route to its final destination, but the views out the window for the whole journey are pretty spectacular.
Another highlight of the journey is that St Ives station is situated right next to Porthminster beach, meaning the sand and sea can be accessed almost immediately.
Meanwhile, the station is less than a ten minute walk into town, where the harbour, shops, galleries and pubs can be explored.
Durham to Edinburgh – Another train route that people in the UK love is the East Coast train line between Durham and Edinburgh, with coastal views and city landscapes among the sights that can be seen out the window.
Newcastle, Berwick, Lindisfarne and Durham Cathedral are all among the highlights on that route.
Scotland’s West Highland Line – While Scotland is home to plenty of famous landmarks and top attractions, it also has one of the most breathtaking train routes in the world.
Scotland’s West Highland Line has previously been dubbed the best rail journey in the world by Wanderlust – and it’s easy to see why.
The journey from Glasgow to Fort William is one of my favourite train routes – and I’ve interrailed through mainland Europe.
With mountain landscapes, serene lochs, wistful moors, and wildlife all visible through the train window, it’s certainly a route all holidaymakers should consider doing at least once.
“But I would like to assure Londoners and visitors to our city that we are working extremely closely with Siemens to ensure that the new trains can be introduced as soon as possible.”
He estimated that the first fleet will come into operation “in the second half of next year”, with a new “window” set between July and December 2026.
“Siemens and TfL are absolutely focused on trying to achieve the July end of the window,” he said.
“But it’s too early to say we can get that yet.”
He added that the hope is that all 94 trains will be in service “18 to 20 months” after the first one starts running.
This would meaning the entire fleet would be in operation by the end of 2027 or early 2028.
This delay means Underground passengers face an additional summer of soaring temperatures on the Picadilly line.
The delay in the new Picadilly trains means passengers will face another summer of commuting with no air conditioning in carriages (stock image)[/caption]
The first new Picadilly train arrived in London last October, and was spotted overnight on Underground tracks in west London in March.
The TFL rep said the new trains would have a “transformative effect” in the capital.
The Piccadilly line connects King’s Cross and the West End with Heathrow airport and beyond and is used for more than 10% of all daily Tube journeys – about 160 million trips a year.
And watch as a TFL driver shows what he gets up to during his work shift.
Plus, the famous voice of the London Underground speaks out after he is set to be replaced by AI.
A busy UK train station is also set to close for a year to undergo a “state-of-the-art” transformation.
