London Overground Electrified by Trains
Mayor announces fleet for North London line
Ken Livingstone announced recently that a fleet of green electric trains especially designed to carry large numbers of passengers at peak times was promised for the North London Line.
He showed plans for 44 high capacity, three and four carriage trains on the line which will be brought in over the next two years. The trains will have a 'metro-style' layout, allowing for wider gangways and larger doors allowing the 63,000 people who use the line to get on and off more quickly and easily.
Announcing the new fleet, Mr Livingstone said: "This is just the start. Over the next four years we will deliver a radical revitalisation of London's overground services."
Transport for London have been running the North London line (formerly run by Silverlink) since November. Since then, the service has been upgraded with stations staffed during opening hours, travellers being able to use Oystercards for all journeys and extension of timetables.
All stations have undergone a deep clean, to be completed next month, along with the repair of broken seats and light fittings.
The Mayor is confident that he will succeed in taking over the London lines run by the Southern Rail franchise and is currently in talks with the Government about this.
April 16, 2008
