Request ID: FOI-3674-2324 Date published: 13 February 2024
You asked
Hi there,
Please provide:
1. An outline of how TfL plans to upgrade existing Central Line trains, including a timeline and what the key upgrades will be.
2. When the decision in 1. was taken.
3. What the approximate shelf life of the trains in 1. will now be.
4. When TfL plans to, if ever, replace the Central Line rolling stock with new trains?
We answered
TfL Ref: 3674-2324 Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 17 January 2024 asking for information about the Central line train upgrade. 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. We are investing in the Central line fleet in the long-term via the Central Line Improvement Programme (CLIP). The trains on the Central line are more than 30 years old and are among the least reliable on the Tube. This £500m programme will boost future reliability as well as providing wheelchair bays, better customer information systems, CCTV in carriages and new seating. The first completely refurbished train is now in customer service. Once the work is complete, it will extend the working life of the trains into the 2040s, giving greater certainty for customers while funding for the replacement of the fleet remains unconfirmed. The project will also enable millions of pounds of savings, better energy efficiency and a reduction in carbon emissions. When CLIP began in 2015, the original outline of the project and its timing would have improved reliability before the trains were planned to be replaced between 2028 and 2031. However, with the changes to the timescales of replacement trains as a result of the lack of funding, the scope of the project was expanded by around 60 per cent and the budget increased to £500m. Challenges experienced in our supply chain, COVID and more recent cost inflation also mean that some suppliers entered administration and replacements had to be found. These factors taken together mean that we are now working for all the trains to be upgraded by the end of 2029. Government funding needed to replace the Central line fleet completely hasn’t been secured. This is why we are instead overhauling existing trains to improve their reliability, make them more accessible and extend their working life. Your specific questions and our replies are as follows: Please provide:
An outline of how TfL plans to upgrade existing Central Line trains, including a timeline and what the key upgrades will be.
Central Line Investment Programme (CLIP) is a vital investment into one of the busiest lines and the longest line on the Tube network. Trains on the Central line, which are over thirty years old in some cases, have been the least reliable on the Tube network for some time CLIP will transform customer experience on the Central line. Not only will trains be more reliable, but they will also feature:
wheelchair bays to improve accessibility
better customer information systems
CCTV in carriages
new seating
a new train computer system which will improve reliability
new traction motors
overhauled components in doors and wheels.
The first completely refurbished train has entered into phased passenger service, to enable us to conclude the final stages of testing. Once this in-service testing has been completed, the production of the project will be ramped up. Five trains will be taken out of service at a time to complete the improvement work, with increasing numbers of refurbished trains entering passenger service over the next four years. The works are forecasted to finish by the end of 2029.
When the decision in 1. was taken.
The original outline for the programme started in 2015.
What the approximate shelf life of the trains in 1. will now be.
It is anticipated that this intervention will extend the life of the trains into the 2040s.
When TfL plans to, if ever, replace the Central Line rolling stock with new trains?
Government funding needed to replace the Central line trains, is not currently secured. Consequently, it is vital that the trains are overhauled to improve their reliability, make them more accessible and extend their working life. 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
