London Overground to Have Extra Carriages on All Lines
57 new carriages will provide 25% more space on trains
Transport for London has placed an order for 57 new rail carriages to increase the passenger capacity on the London Overground railway by 25%.
The £88m order placed with Bombardier Trains in Derby will enable existing Class 378 electric trains to be increased from four to five carriages on all of the network's increasingly popular lines, including the very busy line from Willesden Junction to Clapham Junction which includes local stations at Shepherd's Bush, Olympia, West Brompton and Imperial Wharf. The only section of the Overground network not to get the new trains will be between Gospel Oak and Barking which will remain diesel operated.
Passengers however face a two year wait for the extra space, with the carriages set to be introduced from the end of next year.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson says: "London Overground has been a truly dazzling success and more and more Londoners are now using the vastly improved service.
"Not only will these new carriages help us meet passenger demand, but they will also support jobs and growth at their birthplace in Derby."
Acting Director for TfL London Rail, Jonathan Fox says: " 'With this order, the London Overground Capacity Improvement Programme is firmly underway to meet the demands of increasing numbers travelling on our network.
"We are looking forward to introducing the longer trains from the end of 2014, starting on the East London Line.
" In 2012/13, the network carried nearly 125 million passengers - nearly four times the number carried when we launched in 2007.
"To enable this trend to continue and maintain our high levels for safe, reliable and frequent travel, we need to deliver more capacity by adding more carriages."
May 10, 2013
