FOI request detail

Piccadilly Line shortage of trains.

Request ID: FOI-2908-2425
Date published: 06 January 2025

You asked

Throughout December, the Piccadilly Line has been plagued with delays due to a 'shortage of trains.' Please can TFL explain what exactly is causing this shortage, and what they are doing to sort it out.

We answered

TfL Ref: 2908-2425

 

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 11 December 2024 asking for information about the Piccadilly line.

 

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.  I can confirm that we hold the information you require. You specifically asked: Throughout December, the Piccadilly Line has been plagued with delays due to a 'shortage of trains.'

Please can TFL explain what exactly is causing this shortage, and what they are doing to sort it out.

 

We are unable to run any Piccadilly line services between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge until mid-January 2025 due to a shortage of Piccadilly line trains caused by leaf fall causing extensive damage to train wheels.

There will also be a reduced Piccadilly line service between Acton Town and Rayners Lane, with trains running approximately every 15 minutes throughout the day until mid-January.

We are working to restore normal services as soon as possible. 

The Metropolitan line will run as normal and continue to serve stations between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge. 

We are sorry for the disruption this will cause to journeys. Thank you for your ongoing patience throughout the part closures between these stations in recent weeks.

Conditions this year have been particularly challenging, with leaves staying on trees for longer than usual, before falling rapidly during recent storms. This has meant that despite efforts to manage services during times of particularly high leaf fall, we now have fewer trains available than are needed to run a reliable service. 

Find out more about how leaves on the track can cause disruption and the work we're doing to minimise that disruption. Plan ahead, allow more time for your journey and  check before you travel.

New Piccadilly line timetable from 13 January and short-term weekend closures to prepare for new trains

From Monday 13 January 2025, a new timetable will be in operation on the Piccadilly line.

As part of the new timetable, there will be a reduction in Piccadilly line services between Uxbridge and Acton Town stations during weekday peak times. Metropolitan line services between Uxbridge and Rayners Lane are unaffected. 

This change is required to accommodate the 94 new Piccadilly line trains, which will begin entering service from late 2025, replacing the existing fleet. The new trains are part of a modernisation programme which will improve journey times, train frequency and reliability as well as making the Piccadilly line more accessible and sustainable.

The existing train fleet is nearly 50 years old, and a number of these trains can no longer be used. This means that from January 2025, we will be required to operate the Piccadilly line with slightly fewer trains. 

For a more efficient journey during peak times, if you are travelling on the Piccadilly line between Uxbridge and Eastcote, you should board the first train to Rayners Lane and change there for the Piccadilly line if necessary.

To carry out the necessary work, weekend part-closures of the line have been required. The latest information about these closures can be found on our website 

 

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed. 

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Sara Thomas

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

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