UK: Transport for London (TfL) has published a video on its social media channels showing testing of Inspiro-platform trains on the Piccadilly line. For the first time, the footage gives a detailed look at the interior, including walk-through gangways between cars, passenger information screens, CCTV and air conditioning.
The nine-car trains can carry more than 1,000 passengers and reach speeds of up to 100 km/h. According to TfL, the traction and energy management systems cut electricity consumption by 20% compared with the current fleet, which dates from the 1970s and underwent a major overhaul in the late 1990s.
In 2018, TfL ordered 94 such trains from the German manufacturer for €1.5 bln. Some 80% of the trains will be assembled in Britain, at Siemens Mobility’s new plant in Goole, with the remainder built in Vienna. This is Siemens Mobility’s first order for metro rolling stock for London.
Video of the Inspiro train from Siemens Mobility for London. Source: TfL
Entry into service of the new trains has slipped by a year. They were originally due on the line by late 2025, but the date has since been pushed back twice and is now expected this December. TfL has cited difficulties preparing the first train for testing, along with the challenges of ageing infrastructure — part of the route was built almost 120 years ago — as the reasons for the delays. Alongside the rolling stock renewal, the project also covers upgrades to the track, fixed installations and the power supply system.
