London Banter - Victoria line upgrade

On Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:27:02 +0100, Paul Corfield
wrote:

On Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:31:16 +0100, martyn dawe
wrote:

when will this be finished, the TFL site seems to say 2012, but a
query to TFl only received a link to the current list of line closures

The Vic Line upgrade is targeted for 2012 completion. There has been a
load of work behind the scenes to replace the track, the conductor
rails, install all the signalling, upgrade all of the power supply and
do works to improve tunnel cooling and ventilation. Oh and build the new
trains and start testing them! There are only bits of this work that
are visible to passengers.

The first new train runs in a late night path in passenger service from
Seven Sisters to Brixton on 3 nights a week. The extent of trial running
with the train will increase shortly and then the second prototype will
also run. Once their reliability is confirmed then there is a move
towards introducing production trains on a gradual basis to replace all
of the 1967 stock trains (sob!). Once the new fleet is in and working
they'll still be using a patched version of the new signalling system
which talks to the old system - you have to do this for as long as an
old train is still in service. We then get to the big test which is
switching on the new signalling to its full functionality and then
building up performance and then the timetable specification to take
full advantage of the new faster trains and greater signalling capacity
/ functionality.

There is an article about LUL upgrades in the latest Modern Railways
with some info about the Vic Line although it was specifically covered
in detail a few editions ago.

I read in our "in house" magazine that the new signalling centre at
Northumberland Park will soon start to take over control of the Vic
Line.

I know it all seems very gradual but there is a heck of a lot to do to
get everyone trained, the new trains working reliably, getting the old
trains decommissioned and removed from the depot and then being
confident that the signalling is reliable. I'll confess and say that as
a regular Victoria Line user I am not looking forward to the next few
years in case it all goes horribly wrong [1]. I really hope it doesn't
but it's a big technical challenge when you consider the thousands and
thousands of people who rely on the line day in, day out.

[1] I can still remember what happened with the Central Line upgrade,
new trains on the Northern Line and then the start of through running on
the extended Jubilee Line.

Thanks