Description
The trains are part of a £3.4 billion contract awarded by the now-defunct Metronet to Bombardier to supply new trains featuring Automatic Train Operation and signalling for the Victoria line and other sub-surface lines. This upgrade, when completed in 2012, is expected to provide improved reliability, an 8% decrease in journey times between stations, and a 16% overall decrease in journey times. This is due in part to the trains having better performance than the 1967 Stock they replaced - they have a higher top speed of 80 km/h (50 mph), a faster maximum acceleration of 1.3 ms−2, a normal service deceleration of 1.14 ms−2, and an emergency brake deceleration of 1.4 ms−2, the same as the 1992 Tube Stock. At peak times, 43 trains should be in service, an increase of six over the 1967 Stock.
The trains are 40 mm (1.6 in) wider than the 1967 Stock to take advantage of the Victoria line's loading gauge, which is slightly larger than those of other deep-level tube lines. This, however, prevents them from leaving the Victoria line, except by road. The trains seat 252 and have standing space for an estimated 1,196 passengers, giving a 19% increase in capacity over the 1967 Stock. They also have wider doors for easier boarding and alighting of passengers in order to reduce dwell times in stations. The trains have been built with Bombardier's FICAS technology, giving a thinner bodyshell and hence (along with the larger size) more internal space for passengers. They are the first London Underground trains to be designed since the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations came into force, so they have more facilities for people with impaired mobility, including multi-purpose areas with tip-up seats and space for wheelchairs and pushchairs, and offset centre door poles for wheelchair access.
The trains are the longest deep-level tube trains on the system at 133.275 m (437.25 ft), 3 m (9.8 ft) longer than the 1967 Stock (although the new sub-surface S Stock, which is also part of Bombardier's Movia family and has been ordered under the same contract, is longer still). They are said to use a modified version of the traction pack used on Bombardier's Electrostar trains. They have CCTV cameras and dot-matrix displays to show real-time service information as well as audio announcements. They maintain a fixed height to keep the train in profile under different loading patterns and regardless of the extent of wheel wear. Unlike most other London Underground trains, they have their Combined Traction/Brake Controller (driver's manual controls, often called "dead man's handle") on the right-hand side of the cab, as most of the platforms on the Victoria line are on the right. Access to the cab for driver changes is easier than on the 1967 Stock: an external side door is fitted, whereas the cab in the 1967 Stock had to be accessed through the passenger compartment, which could be difficult at rush hour.
Each train is made up of two 4-car units of the configuration Driving Motor - Trailer - Non Driving Motor - Uncoupling (Shunting) Non Driving Motor, which are coupled back-to-back. The trains are maintained at the Victoria line's Northumberland Park Depot, with Bombardier staff on site for warranty parts replacement. They were originally intended to have all-motored axles as in the 1992 Stock, so that they would have enough traction and acceleration for faster running times; however, it was later decided that 75% of motored axles would be sufficient, which reduced project costs by around £10 million (about 3.5% of the overall cost). They have mechanical-only Scharfenberg couplers.
Read more about this topic: London Underground 2005 Stock
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