TRANSIT: London firm reveals designs for automated Tube trains

Oct. 9, 2014

World’s oldest underground system will have high-tech, driverless trains by mid-2020s

London’s Tube system is set to undergo a renaissance with the debut of designs this week for new automated underground trains. The city expects the first of the new trains to go into service on four lines in 2020, with a full automated fleet by the middle of the decade.

The new trains come courtesy of local design studio Priestmangoode, which is working with Transport for London (TFL) on the new trains for the Piccadilly, Bakerloo, Central and Waterloo & City tube lines. Under the terms of the £16 billion contract (~$25.8 billion), Priestmangoode will create 250 trains for TFL.

Instead of the traditional carriage layout on current trains, the new models will be one long unit. Early versions will still incorporate a cab for drivers that will eventually be phased out for more seating all the way to the front of the train. LED lighting on the front of the train will change color based on the direction it’s moving—white for forward and red for reverse. LEDs will also be used on the interior, along with dynamic advertising screens.

According to Priestmangoode, the new trains will be designed for a 30-year lifespan.