Cooler Tube Train Unveiled By Mayor

By · September 25, 2008 at 13:28 pm · No comments · Latest News · Report an error ·

Boris Johnson this morning unveiled a mock-up of the new “S” stock trains being constructed for the Metropolitan, Circle, District and Hammersmith & City lines. Boasting more spacious interiors and easier movement between carriages, the main bragging point is that the trains will feature air conditioning, a first for the Underground. Sweltering Victoria line commuters, don’t get your hopes up – these shallow, cut-and-cover lines make a/c much easier, though TfL claims to be working on a scheme for deep-level tunnels.

In addition, “enhanced” audible and visual customer information, improved CCTV and two-way customer alarms are promised. The seats are covered by a moquette which will doubtless find it’s way into the London Transport Museum’s furniture collection before long.

The new trains will be rolled out on the Metropolitan line in 2010, with the Circle and H&C the following year and District by 2013. The mock-up carriage is on display for a week, starting Saturday 27th (not Sunday), and is located at Euston Square Gardens until October 2nd.

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  • M@

    Awesome post, and great photos. So we’re getting bendy tubes, eh?

  • DeanN

    Perhaps, though I’m not sure if they’ll run the entire length of the train.

  • jamesu

    Bendyness runs the whole length – they have the same in berlin and it’s very disturbing/fun seeing the train snake about.

    Well done on scooping the Standard – who’ve not bothered to ask for photos by the looks of things, and are using a two year old artist’s impression…

    I think they look great, not as space age as initialy planned, but very funky all the same – nice Moquette too.

  • jamesu

    Oh! and it’s open to the public on saturday:

    A mock – up of the new trains, which will serve around 40 per cent of the Tube network, will be on display at Euston Square Gardens for the public to view from Saturday 26 September to Thursday 2 October. Passengers will benefit from air conditioning, walk-through carriages, CCTV coverage in each carriage and improved accessibility.

  • JMH

    A word to the wise from here in New York: the down side to air conditioned trains is that platforms can get warmer than they otherwise would be during summer as a result, though I suppose the cut-and-cover lines probably ventilate better than most of ours.

  • DeanN

    Good point, JMH – though you’re right that there’s plenty of ventilation in the platform areas on these lines so it shouldn’t be so much a problem that it is in New York.

  • burntoutcar

    I’m not so sure, I think people will be confused (and aggravated) by the increase in temperature, especially on the Mansion House-Embankment-Westminster and Baker Street-Kings Cross sections, which are mostly enclosed.

    Face it, you’re never going to feel cool on the tube in summer, just like you’re never going to be able to catch a tube at 3 in the morning – our beoved underground just ain’t built that way.

    And, I have to say, the designers have never bettered Misha Black’s iconic yellow, orange, brown and black District moquette. This design is just dull.

  • jamesu

    Have you seen the Misha Black inspired design for the London Overgrounds new trains? look it up on london connections.

    Yep, it’s going to get sweaty… When they used steam trains there were a lot more open stations and sections that were open to the element. A lot of air rights have been sold off since then and a lot of stations rebuilt without vents or the vents have been closed.

    Maybe it’ll make everyone realise that TfL isn’t going to get an exception from the second law of thermodynamics…

  • ajlist

    @JMH: Most of New York’s subway is cut and cover.

  • Bluey

    Having been to see this train with a private group, I believe that the air conditioning will have a thermostat control so that the train isn’t uncomfortably cold. Another nifty feature is that if the doors detect that they haven’t closed (if someone or something gets stuck in them) then they will open and close a small fraction by themselves a total of three times to give the person time to free themselves or their stuff.

    These trains are very high-tech and surprisingly comfortable. Sad to see the A stock go, but these trains are just so nice that it softens the blow a bit.

  • http://www.masteringservices.com medway

    That’s a great closeup of the carper they’ve got there.

  • http://www.masteringservices.com medway

    sorry meant to say ‘carpet’

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