UK: The Inspiro metro train has been previously tested at the manufacturer’s Test and Validation Centre in Wegberg-Wildenrat, Germany.
Now, the vehicle is to undergo testing on the Piccadilly line with tunnels of 3.5 m in diameter. Initially, the test train will run overnight, with the following daytime testing activities to be conducted in gaps between regular services.
In 2018, the operator TfL and Siemens Mobility signed a contract worth €1.5 bln for the delivery of 94 Inspiro trains. It is planned to assemble 80% of the order at the new plant in Goole, UK, and the remainder in Vienna. The first trains are to enter service in late 2025, with the whole fleet to be put in operation by the end of 2027. This is for the first time that the German manufacturer has received an order from London Underground.
The nine-car walk-through trainset can accommodate over 1,000 passengers and accelerate up to 100 km/h. The traction and energy control systems are reported to reduce energy consumption by 20% in comparison with the current fleet of metro trains produced in the 1970s and overhauled in the 1990s.
