Hopes Raised for End to Piccadilly Line Disruption
TfL engineers close to completing repairs on damaged trains
Engineers working on the problem at the Cockfosters depot
January 15, 2025
Hopes have been raised that the recent poor performance of services on the Piccadilly line will be coming to an end.
A number of trains had to be taken out of service after suffering ‘wheel flats’ when they skidded on the tracks after a heavy leaf fall last year.
This damage occurs when the brakes are applied and the wheels slide without rotating. To operate a full fleet there need to be 75 Piccadilly Line trains working but, at the moment there are only 60 in service across the line.
This has required the suspension of services between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge. Even so, passengers have reported that the reliability across the rest of the line has deteriorated significantly.
Transport for London engineers are working to smooth out the ‘wheel flats’ using a lathe at a workshop at the Cockfosters depot which was visited recently by the BBC’s transport correspondent Tom Edwards. This process takes about a day per train, and it is hoped that the work on all the damaged wheels will be complete by the end of the month.
A close up of a 'wheel flat' on a Piccadilly line train
Piccadilly line are over 50 years old and do not have "anti-slide" technology on their wheels. The problem with ‘wheel flats’ is not unprecedented with the service affected by the same issue in 2016. TfL engineers say wheel flats can damage tracks and are unsafe for passengers.
Newly ordered trains with better braking technology are being tested at the moment and will gradually replace the old stock with the new fleet fully operational by 2027.
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