New tube train design revealed (and it’s pretty fit)
London’s days of grumbling about sweaty, excessively busy commutes are numbered, following the unveiling of sleek new Underground trains that look like something out of a sci-fi blockbuster.
Revealed by TfL earlier today, the new trains have been created by design firm Priestmangoode with the city’s comfort in mind. As well as sporting walk-through carriages (so that more people can fit in them), they also have wider doors (making it easier to get on and off), dynamic advertising/information displays and there’s even on-board wifi and air conditioning.
Up to 250 of the new trains are due to be built, and deployed initially on the Piccadilly line, followed by the Central, Bakerloo and Waterloo & City lines. The bad news? They’re not due come into service until 2025 (have a little think about how old you’ll be when you first set foot on one and try not to be sick).
The estimated cost of the new fleet is around £2 billion, and it seems TfL will be sourcing part of this sizeable wedge by cutting back (even further) on staff. Though the trains will have drivers to begin with, Priestmangoode has announced that the trains are capable of running automatically, with Boris Johnson confirming that drivers will be phased out by the middle of the next decade – probably not the smartest thing to announce just before a proposed 48 hour tube strike (which has just been cancelled), but then BoJo’s never been one for tact.
For a closer look at the new design, check out the New Tube for London exhibition at King’s Cross St Pancras Underground station, October 9–November 16.
Here’s some more pics to get you excited:
Find out more at tfl.gov.uk/newtube