Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed its intention to award Siemens Mobility Ltd (
www.siemens.com) a contract — worth about £1.5 billion — to design and build 94 new-generation Tube trains that will “transform the journeys of millions of Piccadilly-line customers”.
While more than 700,000 people use the Piccadilly line every day, the combination of limited fleet size and old signalling technology has restricted TfL’s ability to increase the line’s capacity for many decades.
The award of this contract could persuade Siemens Mobility to progress with its plan to build a new factory in Goole (East Yorkshire), to manufacture and commission trains.
The factory would employ up to 700 people in skilled engineering and manufacturing roles.
Moreover, the contract would create about 1,700 indirect jobs in the UK supply chain; 22 UK suppliers have been identified in the bid to potentially work with Siemens Mobility on the build of the trains.
This order — the first under the Deep Tube Upgrade Programme — will mean replacing the entire 1970s Piccadilly line fleet.
From 2023, 94 new Inspiro trains will be delivered for the Piccadilly line, enabling up to 27 trains per hour to operate by the end of 2026.
The combination of signalling upgrades and additional trains will result in peak-period capacity on the busiest central sections of the Piccadilly line increasing by more than half by the end of the 2020s.
The four Deep Tube lines make up a third of the Underground network, and the Deep Tube Upgrade Programme aims to replace the life-expired rolling stock, signalling and control systems of all four (and deliver a 36% increase in capacity by 2035).
While this order is for an initial 94 trains, the contract will be awarded on the expectation of a single manufacturer building the trains for all four Deep Tube lines.
Creating a single train design will allow TfL to maximise cost savings through greater standardisation of train operations, staff training, equipment, spares and maintenance.
Mike Brown, 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.”