Local Tube Services to Have "Heavenly" Air-conditioned Trains

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New trains being introduced in London Underground's 150th year

This week, Transport for London has been celebrating the 150th anniversary of the first ever Tube journey.

The stretch of line between Paddington and Farringdon, which was then the Metropolitan Railway, opened on 9 January 1863, with the first passenger journeys on the following day - making it the world's very first underground railway.

As it celebrates, TfL is looking to the future with the promise of 200 new air-conditioned trains. These have already been brought into use on the Metropolitan line, and the good news is that the Hammersmith and City line is next in line to get these new walk-through trains, followed by the Circle and District Lines.

You can see these trains in action in this YouTube video, which shows Operations Director Nigel Holness explaining their benefits, including the "heavenly" air-conditioning in summer and environmentally friendly regenerative braking, which means the application of the brakes produces electricity.

Mike Brown, Managing Director of London Underground,says: " As we mark the 150th anniversary of the world's first underground railway we are also building for the future - transforming stations and replacing trains, signals and track.

" Our passengers are already seeing the benefits, with more frequent and reliable services on the Jubilee and Victoria lines among many other improvements.

"This year will see even more - with a greater frequency of services on the Central and Victoria lines and more of the new air-conditioned trains, which will soon serve 40 per cent of the Tube network.

" It is this sustained investment that will enable us to create a network able to support London's growing population and maintain our city's vital role in the UK economy for the next 150 years."

 

January 11, 2013