15.06.18
New Tube trains on the way with new Siemens contract from TfL
TfL has awarded Siemens Mobility Limited a contract of around £1.5bn to design and build 94 new generation Tube trains today.
More than 700,000 customers use the Piccadilly line every day. But a limited fleet size alongside old signalling technology has restricted TfL's ability to increase capacity across the line for many decades.
Combined with a signalling upgrade and the purchase of additional trains, peak period capacity on the busiest central sections of the Piccadilly line will increase by more than half by the end of the 2020s and will mean an additional 21,000 customers will be able to board trains every hour during peak times.
Each new train will be six metres longer than the existing Piccadilly line trains. They will include walk-through, fully air-conditioned carriages and improved accessibility, and will be specially designed to optimise the space constraints in the narrow Deep Tube tunnels.
The investment will support London's growing population, which is set to increase to 10.8 million by 2041, supporting new jobs, homes and growth, benefiting the whole UK economy.
22 UK suppliers have been identified in the bid to potentially work with Siemens Mobility Limited on the build of the trains. At least 50 new apprentice and graduate positions could be created.
A new Siemens Mobility factory in Goole, Yorkshire, will employ up to 700 people in skilled engineering and manufacturing roles, plus up to an additional 250 people during the construction phase of the factory.
As a result, around 1,700 indirect jobs would be created throughout the UK supply chain. After completion, TfL will work with Siemens Mobility Limited to maximise the number of Piccadilly line trains being built in this facility.
Mike Brown MVO, Commissioner of Transport for London, said: “Today's announcement of our intention to award the contract to design and build a new generation Tube train is a huge milestone for London Underground.
“We are delivering the biggest investment programme in our history to continue to improve customers' journeys and support London's population and employment growth.
“It also demonstrates once again that investment in London creates jobs and apprenticeship opportunities right across the country.”
Sabrina Soussan, CEO Siemens Mobility, added: 'We are thrilled by today's announcement. Our metro trains travel the equivalent of 60 times around the world each week, transporting millions of passengers comfortably and efficiently.
'With this extensive knowledge and our constant focus on value provision, we can drive down lifecycle costs and significantly improve the passenger experience.
“This has been key to our development of a unique proposition to meet London's specific challenges and is essential to help TfL accelerate the growth of the Tube network and improve the capacity and reliability of its train services.”
The investment in improving public transport will help reduce reliance on the car and contribute to the Mayor Sadiq Khan’s target of 80% of journeys made by public transport, cycling or walking by 2041.
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