TfL Piccadilly line: First look inside new trains as they undergo testing ahead of 2025 rollout

The first new trains for the Piccadilly line are undergoing extensive testing as transport bosses prepare for the new model’s introduction to London’s Tube network.

TfL says the 94 new trains will enter service in 2025 and will increase the Piccadilly line’s capacity by 10%.

The fleet will feature walk-through carriages, air cooling, wider all-double doorways, enhanced digital information screens, improved step-free access onto the platform and on-train CCTV cameras.

They also feature a new moquette design named Holden in honour of Charles Holden, the London Underground architect between the 1920s and 1940s who changed the face of the capital with iconic stations such as Arnos Grove and Southgate.

The new stock is undergoing testing to demonstrate acceleration and braking functionality along with noise and vibration trials at manufacturer Siemens’ depot in Wildenrath in north-west Germany.

The line’s existing trains have been in use since 1975, and are expected to be replaced with the new models in 2025.

Stuart Harvey, TfL’s Chief Capital Officer, said: “Progress on bringing a new fleet of state-of-the-art Tube trains into service in 2025 on the Piccadilly line continues apace with rigorous testing now underway on all aspects of the train’s functionality and performance. 

“This will ensure that the new fleet is able to meet the demands of operating on London’s busy Piccadilly line, which accounts for more than 10 per cent of London Underground’s ridership and serves Heathrow Airport, the West End and St Pancras International.”

Meanwhile work at Siemens Mobility’s new site in Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire – where around half the trains will be assembled – will start next year.

Sambit Banerjee, Joint CEO for Siemens Mobility UKI, said: “It is quite something to see the first of the new state-of-the-art Piccadilly line trains being tested. Although we are still in the early stage of testing, we are learning a lot about this test train and its future performance. 

“As well as testing on the track, we have also been using our climate chamber to ensure the trains can operate safely in extreme weather conditions. These vital tests mark an important milestone for the project.”

TfL executives hope the Bakerloo line will be the next to get new trains. Subject to funding Siemens Mobility says it would like to build new trains for the Bakerloo line out of the train manufacturing facility in Goole.