On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 12:24:23 GMT, "Gareth Packer"
wrote:

On the second subject though, the Piccadilly line is getting new 2009-Stock
tube trains in (funnily enough) 2009, which will be based on the 92-Stock of
the Central Line, and the 95/96 Stock of the Northern and Jubilee Lines, so
I wouldnt have thought that much more work by way of refurbishments will be
undertaken on the 72-Stock Trains... could be wrong, since they are also due
on the Victoria Lines around the same time, the only line with outdated
trains I believe will be the Bakerloo line, which is not due new stock until
2019...

I think you know more than we at LU or even Tube Lines do. The train
design is not finalised and new trains are not required until 2012 at
the earliest with upgrade completion due in 2015 if memory serves. It
would be foolish to purchase a design of train that will be 15 years old
for the Piccadilly Line upgrade. And performance of the current Northern
Line trains is dire so it would be doubly stupid - Tube Lines will want
something that it is very reliable so that their risk under PPP is
minimised.

I'm sure Alstom would be delighted to know they have already won a yet
to be tendered contract as would the EU as this would be a breach of
procurement law. Not sure how Bombardier would feel about the IPR of
the Central Line trains being "stolen" to inform the design of the
Piccadilly Line trains.

Oh and Piccadilly Line stock is 1973 stock and it has just had a whole
package of improvements made to it to improve reliability and all of the
seat covers are being replaced by Tube Lines. As the Picc is generally
very reliable on the Tube Lines managed sections it is pretty clear that
spending money to deal with the worst aspects of unreliability has been
worth it.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!