Contract for the supply of new rolling stock (Piccadilly line)
Request ID: FOI-1256-2223 Date published: 14 September 2022
You asked
Please provide a copy of the contract between TfL and Siemens Mobility Ltd for the supply of New Rolling Stock for the Piccadilly Line
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-1256-2223
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 20th August 2022 asking for information about the contract for the supply of new rolling stock on the Piccadilly line. Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
Specifically you asked:
“Please provide a copy of the contract between TfL and Siemens Mobility Ltd for the supply of New Rolling Stock for the Piccadilly Line”.
I can confirm that we hold the information you require. However, the information is exempt from release at the current time under section 22 of the Freedom of Information Act, the exemption that can apply when information is “intended for future publication”. TfL has a pre-existing plan to publish this contract, and hence the exemption is invoked.
Section 22 is a ‘qualified’ exemption, meaning we have to assess whether the public interest in applying the exemption outweighs the public interest in immediate disclosure. In this instance we consider that the public interest favours the publication of this information according to the pre-determined schedule, rather than in response to your request. We appreciate the need for openness and transparency in the operation of our business, and the fact that you have requested the information is in itself an argument in favour of release. However, given the existing intention to publish, the public will have access to the contract in due course, and publishing in line with our pre-planned schedule ensures TfL can make the most efficient use of our resource, which is paid for by public money in the form of both fares and Government grants. With publication expected relatively shortly we do not see a compelling reason to release the document in advance of publication. On this basis we believe the overall public interest favours the application of the exemption. Note that the document will be published in the Contracts Finder, accessible via our website here: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/contracts
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely,
David Wells FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
