London Underground update for redesigns on 'crumbling' Tube trains
Transport for London has given an update on the design of new trains expected to replace the current stock on its network. The news comes as the Mayor of London admitted that several trains across the network were in a 'crumbling' state.
The information was revealed in a response to a Freedom of Information (FoI) request regarding upgrades to the capital's travel network that Transport for London (TfL) responded to this week. A passenger asked whether the new trains planned for the Central, Bakerloo and Waterloo & City line trains would have distinct colouring for grab poles and hand rails.
They noted that this was present already on some services, with the Jubilee now having grey detailing. They added that this was in contrast to other services such as all of the London Overground lines having matching orange grab rails.
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An FoI case officer for TfL said: "The interior design details including colourways for the future trains for the Bakerloo, Central and Waterloo & City lines will be finalised once funding is in place and follow-on orders can be placed with our supplier. The choice of colours to be used will consider the needs of our customers such as those with visual impairments."
TfL said that the moquette pattern for the seats of the new Bakerloo and Waterloo & City line trains would be considered once funding was in place. It said a new blue patterned moquette was present on new Piccadilly line trains. New moquettes are also present on the seats of the refurbished Central line trains, with at least three more of the renovated trains expected to enter service this year.
The case officer also confirmed that new trains for the Bakerloo line are expected to scrap their famous design of transverse seating, as is still seen on the Elizabeth line and the Metropolitan line. They said the interior layout would instead match that seen in the new Piccadilly line trains, with all-longitudinal seating throughout carriages and tip-up seats in multi-purpose areas.
The transport authority also confirmed that, due to air conditioning being present on the new Piccadilly line trains, doors would remain closed at terminal stations to maintain internal temperatures. It added that buttons can be used by passengers to open doors to board trains.
Conservative London Assembly Member Alessandro Georgiou said at a City Hall meeting on February 20 that the current rolling stock across the TfL network was 'crippled'. Mr Georgiou AM claimed the state of the transport stock was as a result of the Mayor of London deciding to freeze bus and tram fares on the network for the sixth year in a row.
Sir Sadiq Khan said in response that the existing TfL stock was 'crumbling' because of the former Conservative Government ending the annual £700 million operating grant for TfL in 2015. He said that fare freezes between 2016 and 2021 had been paid for by efficiencies within TfL. He added that freezes since 2021 had been directly funded by City Hall to support hard working families in London.
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