Siemens to be Awarded the London Tube Trains Contract : Siemens Mobility Limited has been awarded by Transport for London (TfL) a £1.5 billion contract to design and build 94 new generation Tube trains that will change the experience of millions of Piccadilly line customers. This long-term sustainable 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.

As part of the contract, 22 UK suppliers have been identified in the bit to work with Siemens and at least 50 new apprentice and graduate positions could be created. This news represents a significant step for Siemens’ plans to build a new factory in Goole, East Yorkshire, which will put up to 700 people in skilled engineering and manufacturing roles and an additional 250 during the construction phase.

Around 1,700 indirect jobs would be created throughout the UK supply chain due to Siemens’ involvement. From 2023, 94 new Inspiro trains will be delivered on the Piccadilly line enabling up to 27 trains-per-hour (tph) to operate at peak times by the end of 2026 (up from the current service level of 24 tph). This is a train every 135 seconds at the busiest times.

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.

The Deep Tube Upgrade Programme aims to replace the life-expired rolling stock, signalling and control systems across the four lines. In total, the upgrade programme will deliver a 36% increase in capacity across the four lines by 2035.

Moreover, the new trains will be completely redesigned, with each one being six metres longer than the existing ones. They will include walk-through, fully air-conditioned carriages and improved accessibility.

The contract award is subject to a statutory 10-day standstill period. A separate procurement process for the signalling and train control systems for the Deep Tube lines is well underway with a view to awarding this contract by mid-2020.

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