Transport for London has completed another round of testing on the brand new signalling system for the London Underground which is set to transform the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City, and Metropolitan lines.
More trains were run between Hammersmith and Edgware Road this weekend that had been run in any other weekend of testing – representing another step forward for the programme before the first trains operate with the new system this summer.
The new system, which is being provided by Thales, will improve reliability and boost capacity by 40% on the tube network.
The state-of-the-art control centre for all lines at Hammersmith is also nearly complete. This will bring all the aspects of managing the lines under one roof and helps to ensure a smooth operation for the passengers.
The fleet of 192 new S-stock trains are now also being fitted with the new technology needed to operate the new system and train operators are undergoing training.
What did the officials say?
Stuart Harvey, TfL's Director of Major Projects, said ‘This work on the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines will transform one of the oldest parts of the network into one of the most modern and revolutionise journeys on 40 percent of the Underground. We are investing billions of pounds to make real improvement for customers including making journeys quicker and less crowded. The team is working around the clock so that customers can start to experience some of the benefits from this summer.'
Shaun Jones, Vice-President, Transport at Thales in the UK, said ‘Thanks to the ongoing hard work of our people, we are creating a world-class transport system for London that will start to deliver benefits this summer. Our proven technology will deliver better, more reliable journeys on some of the oldest and most complex parts of the underground network, and we continue to make great progress on this vital upgrade to 40% of the Tube.'
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