Talking to your teams about New Tube for London

Here are a few talking points to support you to have meaningful conversations about ‘New Tube for London’ – the next generation of deep-level Tube trains.

As you know we recently announced the search for a supplier to build the New Tube with bulletins from Director of Strategy & Service Development Gareth Powell.

One of the key areas of concern for many members of our train teams is the prospect of ‘driverless trains’. However, let’s be clear – when the New Tube is introduced it will have an operator (driver) on board. No final decision has been made on the long term staffing arrangements of the New Tube.

In order to help you have relevant, useful and positive conversations with your teams we have set out the key messages which make clear where we are, why, and how we intend to proceed.

Why do we need the New Tube for London?

• The New Tube for London will mean faster, more frequent and reliable journeys for customerson our deep-level Tube network – the Bakerloo, Central, Piccadilly and Waterloo & City lines

• It will also mean greater capacity and more comfortable journeys, with the first deep-levelwalk-through and air-cooled Tube trains

• Starting with the Piccadilly line, where we could increase capacity by up to 60 per cent, the NewTube for London programme will mean replacing the existing signalling systems and more than200 trains to continue to support London’s growth

• Our customers have already seen huge improvements to the Underground network, but inorder to meet the needs of London’s rapidly growing population, we must continue to investand improve our services.

Will the New Tube be driverless?

• When the New Tube first enters service, it will have an operator (driver) on board

• Given the New Tube will serve London for around 50 years, it will be capable of full-automationand being operated without a member of staff on board

• Our plans for the next deep Tube train will explore all the options available, given the technologynow being widely used on many metro systems worldwide

• The Victoria, Jubilee, Central and from later this year the Northern lines are already driven underautomatic train operation, but with an operator on board

• We would only ever consider implementing full-automation without a member of staff on boardfollowing extensive engagement with our people, trades unions, customers and stakeholders.

Our promise to train operators still stands:

If you’re a train operator today and you’re prepared to be flexible you will continue to have a job, in the cab of a train, for your entire career at LU.

Will the New Tube be less safe?

• No. The New Tube for London will never reduce safety for customers and staff

• These new trains will be modern and more reliable than today

• They will be air-cooled and walk-through, not only providing greater capacity and reducingsaloon temperatures in the warm summer months, but actually making them easier toevacuate, should that ever be necessary

• We are considering PEDs on deep Tube lines as part of New Tube for London to furtherimprove the safety of the Tube network

• And our commitment to all our Tube stations being staffed at all times remains paramount,meaning there will always be staff ready to respond to an incident, should that be necessary.

Isn’t automatic door control on the Sub-Surface Railway (SSR) a back door to driverless trains?

• No, this is not a back door to driverless trains. We have no intention of operating the trainsin service on the SSR without a driver

• The Sub-Surface Automatic Train Control contract has requirements for automatic dooropening and closing as well as auto reversing and stabling. These functions allow the trainoperator to intervene

• These automatic features reduce dwell times and allow an increase of up to 32 trains perhour on parts of the Sub-Surface lines.

When can we expect these new trains?

• The procurement process continues with a view to issuing early next year (2015) an invitationto tender for the manufacture of the new trains

• We are at the design and initial procurement stage for these new trains, with the first New Tubenot due to be introduced until the 2020s

• When the New Tube first enters service on the Piccadilly Line, it will have a train operator onboard, and this will continue until all the old fleet is replaced. This will take many years roughlyto c2025. Any decision taken on fuller automation would come into effect after this date andin all reality several years after that

• This means we have many years to work to engage with our people and develop proposals onhow the new Tube will be operated and staffed in the future.

Thank you for talking with your team members and helping them to feel supported and informed.

Remember – we are still at the relatively early stages of procurement and the earliest the first train will be introduced is c2022 and it will have an operator (driver) on board. In the meantime please keep having useful and positive conversations to reassure your teams.

Provisional timeline for New Tube on the Piccadilly line

2014

The Victoria, Jubilee, Central and from later this year the Northern lines are currently driven under automatic operation, but with an operator on board.

2016

Contract let to the chosen supplier for New Tube on the Piccadilly line with options for operation with and without a driver.

2016

Work begins to prepare the platforms for level access and the installation of platform edge doors (PEDs). Our working assumption is that full automation is impossible without PEDs.

2020

Contract let to install PEDs on the Piccadilly line.

2022

First New Tube for London is introduced with an operator (driver) on board which slowly replaces the old stock.

2027

Earliest New Tube for London could be driverless once all New Tubes are running on the line and PEDs fully installed. There may be trials on some sections of the line before 2027 to test readiness.