Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Old Engineering Infrastructure delays new Piccadilly Line trains by up to a year
The BBC is reporting that the 94 new fully walk-through Siemens trains with air-conditioning won't make their scheduled late 2025 introduction.
TfL told the broadcaster that "more challenging engineering complexities" than had been expected, will delay the rollout until the second half of 2026.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mark Michaels
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Surely the Victoria Line should be the priority for A/C?
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter
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AND the wheels!
The Victoria Line must surely be one of the most noisy lines in London, with loud squeaking between Finsbury Park and Seven Sisters.
Could the axles be a few millimetres too wide and causing the flanges to generate tremendous screeching as the grind along the rails?
I feel sorry for the drivers and conversation in a carriage is rendered next to impossible!
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Permalink Reply by John Leeming
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It would have been helpful if the article had stated what particular challenges were causing the problems and the reasons why they were not foreseen.
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Below are some of the specific issues that have been identified. They are hard to find among the blame-shifting weasel words of the respective parties' spokespeople.
Electrical equipment underneath train: equipment positioned on the underside of the new trains is "not in the right alignment" to work correctly with the existing infrastructure.
Driver's seat: Issues have emerged with the ergonomic design of the driver's seat. It has been stated that the seat is not yet "fit for purpose."
Stopping and doors: New equipment needs to be installed at each Piccadilly line station, enabling the new trains to accurately detect their stopping points and to operate their doors correctly at platforms. This has proven more difficult and time consuming than expected
Interaction with old infrastructure: Simply put, the test track used ≠ the actual track.
"Shaving" platform edges - Work has been required to modify ("shave" or reshape) platform edges at stations to accommodate the new trains' different turning geometry.
Track circuit compatibility - Replacement of older 'delta'-type track circuits, to prevent electromagnetic interference (EMI) from the new trains affecting the signalling system.
Power supply upgrades - High Voltage (HV) power network upgrades across the line (e.g., at substations like Neasden, Acton Town, Ravenscourt Park) to meet the increased power demands of the new, larger, and air-conditioned trains.
This could be more commonly described as a clusterf*ck of 'unforeseen challenges'.
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